Pactamycin biosynthetic gene cluster

ABSTRACT

This disclosure describes the molecular cloning of a pactamycin biosynthetic gene cluster from  Streptomyces pactum  ATCC 27456, characterization of individual genes in the gene cluster and the proteins encoded thereby as well as uses thereof. The pactamycin gene cluster is located within an 86.35 kilobases genetic locus and includes 53 open reading frames, 26 of which are considered to be the core cluster directly involved in the biosynthesis of pactamycin.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of the earlier filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/912,824, filed on Apr. 19, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

This disclosure relates to antibiotic biosynthesis, in particular, to a pactamycin gene cluster, methods of its use, proteins encoded thereby and methods for using the gene cluster and parts thereof to synthesize pactamycin and analogs thereof.

BACKGROUND

The global emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections has resulted in enormous healthcare costs and has become a major threat to public health. In the U.S. alone, the total cost linked to antibiotic-resistant infections has been estimated at $5 billion annually (Zinner, Expert Rev. Anti. Infect. Ther., 3: 907-913, 2005). About 70 percent of the bacteria that cause infections in hospitals are now resistant to at least one of the drugs most commonly used for treatment. For example, some organisms are resistant to all approved antibiotics and can only be treated with experimental and potentially toxic drugs. Therefore, to stay ahead of the development of antibacterial drug resistance, there is a pressing necessity to identify new antibiotics, especially those with novel mechanisms of action, and methods for producing such antibiotics.

SUMMARY

This disclosure describes the molecular cloning of the pactamycin biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces pactum (ATCC 27456), the characterization of the individual genes in the gene cluster and the proteins encoded thereby, and new chemical structures developed through genetic manipulation and utilization of the pactamycin gene cluster. The pactamycin gene cluster within SEQ ID NO: 54 (nucleotide residues 1-86350) includes fifty-three genes referred to as orf1 to orf53, respectively. Sequence analysis reveals peroxidase/hydrolase genes, oxidoreductase/mutase/dehydrogenase/hydroxylase genes, aminotransferase genes, carbamoyl-/nucleotidyl-/glycosyl-/phosphopantetheinyltransferase genes, methyltransferase genes, kinase genes, polyketide synthtase (PKS) genes and regulatory genes, as described more fully herein.

The present disclosure also relates to the use of the pactamycin biosynthetic genes located within the identified gene cluster for drug design and development purposes, including the development of pactamycin analogs that are more efficacious and less toxic. Also provided are drugs and antibiotics so produced, as well as methods of their use.

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates the chemical structures of representative aminocyclitol antibiotics.

FIG. 1B illustrates the structure of pactamycin as well as the site of incorporation of certain carbons from precursors in the biosynthesis of pactamycin.

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing showing the genetic organization of the pactamycin biosynthetic gene cluster from S. pactum ATCC 27456.

FIG. 3 is a proposed biosynthetic pathway for the formation of pactamycin.

FIG. 4 is a proposed biosynthesis pathway to the formation of the 3-aminoacetophenone unit.

FIG. 5 is a proposed biosynthetic pathway to 6-MSA-CoA.

FIG. 6 is a series of HPLC profiles illustrating 6-MSA-CoA production in S. lividans T7.

FIG. 7 includes illustrations of the expected fragments from digesting ptmQ with BamHI/NcoI (panel A) or MluI (panel B) and a digital image of a Southern blot illustrating a successful gene disruption of ptmQ in S. pactum (panel C).

FIG. 8 is a series of tracing generated by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) analysis of wild-type and ptmQ mutant strains of S. pactum. FIG. 8 also shows the chemical structures of compounds generated by these strains.

FIG. 9 is a proposed biosynthetic pathway for the mutasynthesis of pactamycin analogs.

FIG. 10 is a proposed biosynthetic pathway for the semi-synthesis of pactamycin analogs.

FIG. 11 shows the chemical structures of exemplary carboxylic acids to be used as side chain in the synthesis of pactamycin analogs.

FIG. 12 is a proposed biosynthetic pathway for the conversion of 7-deoxypactamycin to pactamycin and subsequently to pactamycate.

FIG. 13 is an illustration of the combinatorial expressions of ptm genes and the proposed chemical structures of their expected products.

SEQUENCE LISTING

The nucleic and amino acid sequences listed in the accompanying sequence listing are shown using standard letter abbreviations for nucleotide bases, and three letter code for amino acids, as defined in 37 C.F.R. 1.822. Only one strand of the nucleic acid sequence is shown, but the complementary strand is understood as included by any reference to the displayed strand. In the accompanying sequence listing:

SEQ ID NO: 1 is the amino acid sequence for Orf1 encoded by orf1, corresponding to nucleotides 38 to 1489 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf1 is homologous to phosphoribosylformylglycinamidine synthase II.

SEQ ID NO: 2 is the amino acid sequence for Orf2 encoded by orf2, corresponding to nucleotides 1756 to 2630 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf2 is homologous to hypothetical protein SAV4137

SEQ ID NO: 3 is the amino acid sequence for Orf3 encoded by orf3, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 2803 to 4377 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf3 is homologous to N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase.

SEQ ID NO: 4 is the amino acid sequence for Orf4 encoded by orf4, corresponding to nucleotides 5443 to 7026 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf4 is homologous to amidophosphoribosyltransferase.

SEQ ID NO: 5 is the amino acid sequence for OrfS encoded by orfs, corresponding to nucleotides 7060 to 8160 of SEQ ID NO: 54. OrfS is homologous to phosphoribosylaminoimidazole synthetase.

SEQ ID NO: 6 is the amino acid sequence for Orf6 encoded by orf6, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 9066 to 10160 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf6 is homologous to a dehydrogenase.

SEQ ID NO: 7 is the amino acid sequence for Orf7 encoded by orf7, corresponding to nucleotides 10461 to 11279 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf7 is homologous to hypothetical protein SAV413.

SEQ ID NO: 8 is the amino acid sequence for Orf8 encoded by orf8, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 12500 to 13135 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf8 is homologous to hypothetical protein b1r0521.

SEQ ID NO: 9 is the amino acid sequence for Orf9 encoded by orf9, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 14199 to 18185 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf9 is homologous to an ATP-dependent helicase.

SEQ ID NO: 10 is the amino acid sequence for Orfl 0 encoded by orf10, corresponding to nucleotides 18815 to 19801 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf10 is homologous to an integral membrane protein.

SEQ ID NO: 11 is the amino acid sequence for Orf11 encoded by orf11, corresponding to nucleotides 19889 to 21616 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf11 is homologous to a putative ECF-family RNA polymerase sigma factor.

SEQ ID NO: 12 is the amino acid sequence for Orf12 encoded by orf12, corresponding to nucleotides 21753 to 22910 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf12 is homologous to FAD-dependent pyridine nucleotide-disulphide oxidoreductase.

SEQ ID NO: 13 is the amino acid sequence for Orf13 encoded by orf13, corresponding to nucleotides 23582 to 24052 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf13 is homologous to hypothetical protein SCO4094.

SEQ ID NO: 14 is the amino acid sequence for Orf14 encoded by orf14, corresponding to nucleotides 24165 to 24932 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf14 is homologous to translation initiation factor IF-2.

SEQ ID NO: 15 is the amino acid sequence for Orf15 encoded by orf15, corresponding to nucleotides 25050 to 25502 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf15 is homologous to translation initiation factor IF-2.

SEQ ID NO: 16 is the amino acid sequence for Orf16 encoded by orf16, corresponding to nucleotides 25602 to 27968 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf16 is homologous to ATP-dependent RNA helicase.

SEQ ID NO: 17 is the amino acids sequence for PtmY encoded by orf28 or ptmY, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 29893 to 31086 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmY is homologous to cytochrome P450 monooxygenase.

SEQ ID NO: 18 is the amino acids sequence for PtmZ encoded by orf29 or ptmZ, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 31140 to 31628 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmZ is homologous to glutathione peroxidase.

SEQ ID NO: 19 is the amino acids sequence for PtmA encoded by orf30 or ptmA, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 31845 to 33020 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmA is homologous to aminotransferase.

SEQ ID NO: 20 is the amino acid sequence for PtmB encoded by orf31 or ptmB, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 33035 to 34747 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmB is homologous to carbamoyltransferase.

SEQ ID NO: 21 is the amino acid sequence for PtmC encoded by orf32 or ptmC, corresponding to nucleotides 35020 to 36123 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmC is homologous to radical SAM oxidoreductase.

SEQ ID NO: 22 is the amino acid sequence for PtmD encoded by orf33 or ptmD, corresponding to nucleotides 36189 to 37265 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmD is homologous to methyltransferase.

SEQ ID NO: 23 is the amino acid sequence for PtmE encoded by orf34 or ptmE, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 37258 to 37794 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmE is homologous to glucokinase.

SEQ ID NO: 24 is the amino acid sequence for PtmF encoded by orf35 or ptmF, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 37794 to 38444 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmF contains a DNA-binding winged-HTH domain.

SEQ ID NO: 25 is the amino acid sequence for PtmG encoded by orf36 or ptmG, corresponding the reverse complement of nucleotides 38620 to 39756 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmG is homologous to nucleotydyltransferase and deacetylase.

SEQ ID NO: 26 is the amino acid sequence for PtmH encoded by orf37 or ptmH, corresponding to nucleotides 40175 to 42160 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmH is believed is homologous to methyltransferase.

SEQ ID NO: 27 is the amino acid sequence for PtmI encoded by orf38 or ptml, corresponding to nucleotides 42192 to 42476 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmI is homologous to an acyl carrier protein.

SEQ ID NO: 28 is the amino acid sequence for PtmJ encoded by orf39 or ptmJ, corresponding to nucleotides 42482 to 43438 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmJ is homologous to glycosyltransferase.

SEQ ID NO: 29 is the amino acid sequence for PtmK encoded by orf40 or ptmK, corresponding to nucleotides 43435 to 45123 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmK is homologous to 3-oxoacyl-(ACP) synthase.

SEQ ID NO: 30 is the amino acid sequence for PtmL encoded by orf41 or ptmL, corresponding to nucleotides 45116 to 46843 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmL is homologous to methyltransferase.

SEQ ID NO: 31 is the amino acid sequence for PtmM encoded by orf42 or ptmM, corresponding to nucleotides 46894 to 48630 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmM is homologous to methyltransferase.

SEQ ID NO: 32 is the amino acid sequence for PtmN encoded by orf43 or ptmN, corresponding to nucleotides 48634 to 49689 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmN is homologous to oxidoreductase or a dehydrogenase.

SEQ ID NO: 33 is the amino acid sequence for PtmO encoded by orf44 or ptmO, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 50000 to 50773 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmO is homologous to hydrolase and acyltransferase.

SEQ ID NO: 34 is the amino acid sequence for PtmP encoded by orf45 or ptmP, corresponding to nucleotides 50883 to 51518 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmP is homologous to phosphopantetheinyltransferase.

SEQ ID NO: 35 is the amino acid sequence for PtmQ encoded by orf46 or ptmQ, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 52474 to 58089 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmQ is believed to function as a polyketide synthase or 6-methylsalicylic acid synthase.

SEQ ID NO: 36 is the amino acid sequence for PtmR encoded by orf47 or ptmR, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 58056 to 59129 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmR is homologous to oxoacyl-[acyl-carrier-protein]synthase.

SEQ ID NO: 37 is the amino acid sequence for PtmS encoded by orf48 or ptmS, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 59143 to 60660 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmS is homologous to acyl-CoA synthetase.

SEQ ID NO: 38 is the amino acid sequence for PtmT encoded by orf49 or ptmT, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 60657 to 61991 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmT is believed to function as an aminotransferase, such as a glutamate-1-semialdehyde aminotransferase.

SEQ ID NO: 39 is the amino acid sequence for PtmU encoded by orf50 or ptmU, corresponding to nucleotides 62153 to 62992 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmU is homologous to oxidoreductase.

SEQ ID NO: 40 is the amino acid sequence for PtmV encoded by orf51 or ptmV, corresponding to nucleotides 63030 to 63710 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmV is homologous to phosphoglycerate mutase/phosphatase.

SEQ ID NO: 41 is the amino acid sequence encoded by orf52 or ptmW, corresponding to nucleotides 64635 to 65450 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmW is homologous to a hypothetical protein SAV_(—)3686.

SEQ ID NO: 42 is the amino acid sequence encoded by orf53 or ptmX, corresponding to nucleotides 66186 to 67481 of SEQ ID NO: 54. PtmX is homologous to integral membrane protein.

SEQ ID NO: 43 is the amino acid sequence for Orf17 encoded by orf17, corresponding to nucleotides 67855 to 69201 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf17 is homologous to peptidase.

SEQ ID NO: 44 is the amino acid sequence for Orf18 encoded by orf18, corresponding to nucleotides 69778 to 70359 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf18 is homologous to acetyltransferase.

SEQ ID NO: 45 is the amino acid sequence for Orf19 encoded by orf19, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 7034 to 7347 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf19 is homologous to ATP-dependent helicase.

SEQ ID NO: 46 is the amino acid sequence for Orf20 encoded by orf20, corresponding to nucleotides 73641 to 74723 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf20 is homologous to hypothetical protein LEUM_(—)1013.

SEQ ID NO: 47 is the amino acid sequence for Orf21 encoded by orf21, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 74737 to 76386 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf21 is homologous to hypothetical protein SAV_(—)4116.

SEQ ID NO: 48 is the amino acid sequence for Orf22 encoded by orf22, corresponding to nucleotides 76463 to 76867 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf22 is homologous to glycosyl transferase or hypothelical protein SCO5273.

SEQ ID NO: 49 is the amino acid sequence for Orf23 encoded by orf23, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 77327 to 78619 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf23 is homologous to methyltransferase.

SEQ ID NO: 50 is the amino acid sequence for Orf24 encoded by orf24, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 78767 to 79951 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf24 is homologous to dehydrogenase and hypothetical protein SCO4113.

SEQ ID NO: 51 is the amino acid sequence for Orf25 encoded by orf25, corresponding to the reverse complement of nucleotides 80490 to 81968 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf25 is homologous to sporulation associated protein.

SEQ ID NO: 52 is the amino acid sequence for Orf26 encoded by orf26, corresponding to nucleotides 82831 to 84993 of SEQ ID NO: 54. Orf26 is homologous to a secreted protein or asparagine synthetase.

SEQ ID NO: 53 is the partial amino acid sequence for Orf27 encoded by orf27, corresponding to nucleotides 85154 to 86350 of SEQ ID NO: 54.

SEQ ID NO: 54 is the nucleic acid sequence of an 86.35 kb genetic locus including a pactamycin gene cluster.

SEQ ID NOs: 55 and 56 are oligonucleotide sequences employed to amplify the ketosynthase domain in the rifB gene.

SEQ ID NOs: 57 and 58 are oligonucleotide sequences employed to amplify the aminotransferase gene cetM from the cetoniacytone A biosynthetic gene cluster.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION I. Introduction

Aminocyclitol antibiotics have long been known for their significant biological activities. Many of them, e.g., gentamicin, kanamycin, neomycin, and streptomycin, have been used clinically for decades as potent antimicrobial agents (FIG. 1A; Begg and Barclay, Br. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 39: 597-603, 1995). Other analogs, e.g., hygromycin A and spectinomycin, are used frequently as animal medicines in veterinary and agricultural applications, and as selection markers in molecular genetic studies (Biehl, Vet. Clin. North. Am. Food Anim. Pract., 2: 481-487, 1986; Nakagawa et al., J. Antibiot. (Tokyo) 40: 1627-1635, 1987; and Schwarz et al., J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 53: 379-382, 2004).

Pactamycin, a structurally unique aminocyclitol antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces pactum, consists of a 5-member ring aminocyclitol (cyclopentitol) unit, two aromatic rings (6-methyl salicylic acid and 1-(3-amino-phenyl)-ethanone) and a 1,1-dimethylurea (Wiley et al., J. Org. Chem., 35: 1420-1425, 1970; and Rinehart et al., J. Nat. Prod. 43: 1-20, 1979; FIG. 1B). Cyclopentitol-derived aminocyclitols are relatively rare in nature. However, their biological activities and their unique structures have been attractive objects of investigation. Besides pactamycin, interesting cyclopentitol-derived natural products include allosamidin, a chitinase inhibitor isolated from Streptomyces sp. no. 1713 (Sakuda et al., J. Antibiot. (Tokyo) 40: 296-300, 1987) and trehazolin, a potent trehalase inhibitor produced by Micromonospora coriacea (SANK 62192; Ando et al., J. Antibiot. (Tokyo) 44: 1165-1168, 1991). Cyclopentitol moieties are also found in carbocyclic nucleosides and related compounds, e.g., neplanocin A (Hayashi et al., J. Antibiot. (Tokyo), 34: 675-680, 1981), aristeromycin (Kusaka et al., J. Antibiot. (Tokyo), 21: 255-263, 1968), adecypenol (Omura et al., J. Antibiot. (Tokyo) 39: 309-310, 1986), queuosine and its analog epoxyqueuosine (Nishimura, Prog. Nucleic Acid Res. Mol. Biol. 28: 49-73, 1986).

To date, biosynthetic studies of pactamycin have only been performed by conventional feeding experiments with isotopically labeled precursors. It has been suggested that the five-member ring aminocyclitol moiety of pactamycin is derived from glucose, whereas the 6-methyl salicylic acid is derived from acetic acid. The 1-(3-aminophenyl)-ethanone) or 3-aminoacetophenone moiety is derived from an unknown branch of the amino-shikimate pathway. The four-methyl groups and the hydroxymethine carbon in the molecule are derived from methionine as shown in FIG. 1B (Weller and Rinehart, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 100: 6757-6760, 1978).

Pactamycin has potent antibacterial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Bhuyan, Appl. Microbiol., 10: 302-304, 1962). It also shows a strong anti-tumor activity. However, clinical application of pactamycin was finally abandoned due to its high toxicity. To improve its efficacy and reduce its toxicity, further structural modification of the compound is desirable. Such an objective is difficult to achieve by chemical synthesis due to the complexity of the molecule, and therefore, requires alternative approaches, e.g., biosynthetic or genetic modification methods.

The application of contemporary molecular genetic approaches to study the biosynthesis of antibiotics has revolutionized the way drug discovery is conducted. Using genetically engineered microorganisms, dozens of structurally altered antibiotics have recently been generated (Staunton and Weissman, Nat. Prod. Rep., 18: 380-416, 2001), ranging from analogs of the antibiotic erythromycin (Marsden et al., Science, 279: 199-202, 1998; and McDaniel et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 96: 1846-1851, 1999) to the anthelmintic avermectins (Stutzman-Engwall et al., Biotechnol. Bioeng. 82: 359-369, 2003) and the anti-tumor agents, the epothilones (Arslanian et al., J. Nat. Prod. 65: 1061-1064, 2002). Similar approaches can be used for generating analogs of pactamycin. In addition, genetic methods can be used to generate analogs that are difficult to make using traditional synthetic methodologies. For example, the chemical cleavage of the two aromatic rings (6-methylsalicylic acid and 1-(3-amino-phenyl)-ethanone) may be difficult to accomplish without affecting other parts of the molecule. However, inactivation of the genes that are responsible for the attachments of these side chains may results in mutant strains of bacteria that produce intermediates, which may have distinct pharmacological properties as compared to the parent compound.

Structural variability at those positions can also be further developed using combinatorial synthetic approaches, mutasynthesis, or enzymatic methodologies to generate libraries of pactamycin analogs.

As the biosynthetic gene cluster for pactamycin was not available, it was necessary to identify and characterize the genes responsible for the production of this important antibiotic in S. pactum. Knowledge of the genetic information is a prerequisite for the success of the molecular genetic approaches described above.

This disclosure describes the molecular cloning of the pactamycin biosynthetic gene cluster from S. pactum ATCC 27456, characterization of the individual genes in the gene cluster and the proteins encoded thereby and their uses (such as for drug discovery and development purposes). The pactamycin gene cluster was isolated by constructing a genomic library using the Copy Control Fosmid system (EPICENTRE). The library was screened using a number of heterologous probes including the PKS module of the rifamycin gene cluster (rifB) (August et al., Chem. Biol. 5: 69-79, 1998), the aminotransferase gene from the cetoniacytone A biosynthetic gene cluster (cetM) and the C-methyltransferase gene from the clorobiocin biosynthetic gene cluster (cloU) (Freitag et al., Microbiology 152: 2433-2442, 2006). The isolated genetic loci containing the pactamycin biosynthetic gene cluster is 86.35 kb (SEQ ID NO: 54) and includes 53 orfs. Sequence analysis reveals peroxidase/hydrolase genes, oxidoreductase/mutase/dehydrogenase/hydroxylase genes, aminotransferase genes, carbamoyl-/nucleotidyl-/glycosyl-/phosphopantetheinyltransferase genes, methyltransferase genes, kinase genes, polyketide synthetase (PKS) genes and regulatory genes (FIG. 2).

II. Abbreviations and Terms a. Abbreviations

-   -   aa amino acid     -   LCMS liquid chromatography mass spectometry     -   NRPS non-ribosomal peptide synthetase     -   ORF open reading frame     -   PKS polyketide synthetase     -   Ptm or ptm pactamycin     -   SNP single nucleotide polymorphism

b. Terms

Unless otherwise noted, technical terms are used according to conventional usage. Definitions of common terms in molecular biology may be found in Benjamin Lewin Genes Vpublished by Oxford University Press, 1994 (ISBN 0-19-854287-9); Kendrew et al. (eds.) The Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology, published by Blackwell Science Ltd., 1994 (ISBN 0-632-02182-9); and Robert A. Meyers (ed.) Molecular Biology and Biotechnology: a Comprehensive Desk Reference, published by VCH Publishers, Inc., 1995 (ISBN 1-56081-569-8).

In order to facilitate review of the various embodiments of this disclosure, the following explanations of specific terms are provided:

Acyl: A group of the formula RC(O)— wherein R is an organic group.

Aliphatic: Moieties including alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, halogenated alkyl and cycloalkyl groups as described below. A “lower aliphatic” group is a branched or unbranched aliphatic group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms.

Alkyl: A branched or unbranched saturated hydrocarbon group of 1 to 24 carbon atoms, such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, t-butyl, pentyl, hexyl, heptyl, octyl, decyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl, eicosyl, tetracosyl and the like. A “lower alkyl” group is a saturated branched or unbranched hydrocarbon having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms. The terms “halogenated alkyl” or “haloalkyl group” refer to an alkyl group as defined above with one or more hydrogen atoms present on these groups substituted with a halogen (F, Cl, Br, I). The term “cycloalkyl” refers to a non-aromatic carbon-based ring composed of at least three carbon atoms. Examples of cycloalkyl groups include, but are not limited to, cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, etc. The term “heterocycloalkyl group” is a cycloalkyl group as defined above where at least one of the carbon atoms of the ring is substituted with a heteroatom such as, but not limited to, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, or phosphorous. Optionally substituted groups, such as “substituted alkyl,” describes groups, such as an alkyl group, having from 1-5 substituents, typically from 1-3 substituents, selected from alkoxy, optionally substituted alkoxy, acyl, acylamino, acyloxy, amino, aminoacyl, aminoacyloxy, aryl, carboxyalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkenyl, optionally substituted heteroaryl, optionally substituted heterocyclyl, hydroxy, thiol and thioalkoxy.

Alkenyl: A hydrocarbon group of 2 to 24 carbon atoms and structural formula containing at least one carbon-carbon double bond.

Alkynyl: A hydrocarbon group of 2 to 24 carbon atoms and a structural formula containing at least one carbon-carbon triple bond.

Allelic variant: A naturally occurring alternate form of a polypeptide that is characterized as having a substitution, deletion, or addition of one or more amino acids as compared to the wildtype form of the sequence. In one example, the variant does not alter the biological function of the polypeptide. In other examples, the variant includes a mutation that alters the biological function of the polypeptide.

Amino acid: Amino acid refers to both natural and unnatural amino acids, including their D and L stereoisomers for chiral amino acids. Natural and unnatural amino acids are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Common natural amino acids include, without limitation, alanine (Ala), arginine (Arg), asparagine (Asn), aspartic acid (Asp), cysteine (Cys), glutamine (Gln), glutamic acid (Glu), glycine (Gly), histidine (His), isoleucine (Ile), leucine (Leu), lysine (Lys), methionine (Met), phenylalanine (Phe), proline (Pro), serine (Ser), threonine (Thr), tryptophan (Trp), tyrosine (Tyr), and valine (Val). Uncommon and unnatural amino acids include, without limitation, allyl glycine (AllylGly), biphenylalanine (Bip), citrulline (Cit), 4-guanidinophenylalanine (Phe(Gu)), homoarginine (hArg), homolysine (hLys), 2-napthylalanine (2-NaI), ornithine (Orn) and pentafluorophenylalanine (F5Phe).

Amino acids are typically classified in one or more categories, including polar, hydrophobic, acidic, basic and aromatic, according to their side chains. Examples of polar amino acids include those having side chain functional groups such as hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, and amide, as well as the acidic and basic amino acids. Polar amino acids include, without limitation, asparagine, cysteine, glutamine, histidine, selenocysteine, serine, threonine, tryptophan and tyrosine. Examples of hydrophobic or non-polar amino acids include those residues having nonpolar aliphatic side chains, such as, without limitation, leucine, isoleucine, valine, glycine, alanine, proline, methionine and phenylalanine. Examples of basic amino acid residues include those having a basic side chain, such as an amino or guanidino group. Basic amino acid residues include, without limitation, arginine, homolysine and lysine. Examples of acidic amino acid residues include those having an acidic side chain functional group, such as a carboxy group. Acidic amino acid residues include, without limitation aspartic acid and glutamic acid. Aromatic amino acids include those having an aromatic side chain group. Examples of aromatic amino acids include, without limitation, biphenylalanine, histidine, 2-napthylalananine, pentafluorophenylalanine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine. It is noted that some amino acids are classified in more than one group, for example, histidine, tryptophan and tyrosine are classified as both polar and aromatic amino acids. Additional amino acids that are classified in each of the above groups are known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Exemplary pactamycin analogs disclosed herein are functionalized, chemically or biosynthetically, with one or more amino acid residues.

Amplification: When used in reference to nucleic acids, amplification refers to techniques that increase the number of copies of a nucleic acid molecule in a sample or specimen. An example of amplification is the polymerase chain reaction, in which a biological sample collected from a subject is contacted with a pair of oligonucleotide primers, under conditions that allow for the hybridization of the primers to nucleic acid template in the sample. The primers are extended under suitable conditions, dissociated from the template, and then re-annealed, extended, and dissociated to amplify the number of copies of the nucleic acid. The product of in vitro amplification can be characterized by electrophoresis, restriction endonuclease cleavage patterns, oligonucleotide hybridization or ligation, and/or nucleic acid sequencing, using standard techniques. Other examples of in vitro amplification techniques include strand displacement amplification (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,311); transcription-free isothermal amplification (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,881); repair chain reaction amplification (see WO 90/01069); ligase chain reaction amplification (see EP-A-320 308); gap filling ligase chain reaction amplification (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,930); coupled ligase detection and PCR (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,889); and NASBA™ RNA transcription-free amplification (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,134).

Analog, derivative or mimetic: An analog is a molecule that differs in chemical structure from a parent compound, for example a homolog (differing by an increment in the chemical structure, such as a difference in the length of an alkyl chain), a molecular fragment, a structure that differs by one or more functional groups, a change in ionization. Structural analogs are often found using quantitative structure activity relationships (QSAR), with techniques such as those disclosed in Remington (The Science and Practice of Pharmacology, 19th Edition (1995), chapter 28). A derivative is a biologically active molecule derived from the base structure. A mimetic is a molecule that mimics the activity of another molecule, such as a biologically active molecule. Biologically active molecules can include chemical structures that mimic the biological activities of a compound.

Antibiotic: A substance, for example pactamycin, penicillin or streptomycin, often produced by or derived from certain fungi, bacteria, and other organisms, that can destroy or inhibit the growth of other microorganisms.

Antisense, Sense, and Antigene: Double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) has two strands, a 5′→3′ strand, referred to as the plus strand, and a 3′→5′ strand (the reverse compliment), referred to as the minus strand. Because RNA polymerase adds nucleic acids in a 5′→3′ direction, the minus strand of the DNA serves as the template for the RNA during transcription. Thus, the RNA formed will have a sequence complementary to the minus strand and identical to the plus strand (except that U is substituted for T, and ribose is substituted for deoxyribose). Antisense molecules are molecules that are specifically hybridizable or specifically complementary to either RNA or plus strand DNA. Sense molecules are molecules that are specifically hybridizable or specifically complementary to the minus strand of DNA. Antigene molecules are either antisense or sense molecules complimentary to a dsDNA target. In one embodiment, an antisense molecule specifically hybridizes to a target mRNA and inhibits transcription of the target mRNA.

Binding or stable binding: An oligonucleotide binds or stably binds to a target nucleic acid if a sufficient amount of the oligonucleotide forms base pairs or is hybridized to its target nucleic acid, to permit detection of that binding. Binding can be detected by either physical or functional properties of the target: oligonucleotide complex. Binding between a target and an oligonucleotide can be detected by any procedure known to one of ordinary skill in the art, including both functional and physical binding assays. Binding can be detected functionally by determining whether binding has an observable effect upon a biosynthetic process such as expression of a gene, DNA replication, transcription, translation and the like.

Physical methods of detecting the binding of complementary strands of DNA or RNA are well known in the art, and include such methods as DNase I or chemical footprinting, gel shift and affinity cleavage assays, Northern blotting, dot blotting and light absorption detection procedures. For example, one method that is widely used, because it is so simple and reliable, involves observing a change in light absorption of a solution containing an oligonucleotide (or an analog) and a target nucleic acid at 220 to 300 nm as the temperature is slowly increased. If the oligonucleotide or analog has bound to its target, there is a sudden increase in absorption at a characteristic temperature as the oligonucleotide (or analog) and the target disassociate from each other, or melt.

The binding between an oligomer and its target nucleic acid is frequently characterized by the temperature (T_(m)) at which 50% of the oligomer is melted from its target. A higher T_(m) means a stronger or more stable complex relative to a complex with a lower T_(m).

Biological function: The function(s) of a polypeptide in the cells in which it naturally occurs. A polypeptide can have more than one biological function.

cDNA (complementary DNA): A piece of DNA lacking internal, non-coding segments (introns) and transcriptional regulatory sequences. cDNA can also contain untranslated regions (UTRs) that are responsible for translational control in the corresponding RNA molecule. cDNA is synthesized in the laboratory by reverse transcription from messenger RNA extracted from cells.

Conservative substitution: Amino acid substitutions that do not substantially alter the activity (specificity or binding affinity) of the molecule. Typically conservative amino acid substitutions involve substitutions of one amino acid for another amino acid with similar chemical properties (e.g., charge or hydrophobicity). The following table shows exemplar conservative amino acid substitutions:

Original Conservative Residue Substitutions Ala Ser Arg Lys Asn Gln; His Asp Glu Cys Ser Gln Asn Glu Asp Gly Pro His Asn; Gln Ile Leu; Val Leu Ile; Val Lys Arg; Gln; Glu Met Leu; Ile Phe Met; Leu; Tyr Ser Thr Thr Ser Trp Tyr Tyr Trp; Phe Val Ile; Leu

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid): A long chain polymer which comprises the genetic material of most living organisms (some viruses have genes comprising ribonucleic acid (RNA). The repeating units in DNA polymers are four different nucleotides, each of which comprises one of the four bases, adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine bound to a deoxyribose sugar to which a phosphate group is attached. Triplets of nucleotides (referred to as codons) code for each amino acid in a polypeptide. The term codon is also used for the corresponding (and complementary) sequences of three nucleotides in the mRNA into which the DNA sequence is transcribed.

Unless otherwise specified, any reference to a DNA molecule is intended to include the reverse complement of that DNA molecule. Except where single-strandedness is required by the text herein, DNA molecules, though written to depict only a single strand, encompass both strands of a double-stranded DNA molecule. Thus, a reference to the nucleic acid molecule that encodes a specific protein, or a fragment thereof, encompasses both the sense strand and its reverse complement. Thus, for instance, it is appropriate to generate probes or primers from the reverse complement sequence of the disclosed nucleic acid molecules.

Domain: A portion of a molecule such as proteins or nucleic acids that is structurally and/or functionally distinct from another portion of the molecule.

Encode: A polynucleotide is said to “encode” a polypeptide if, in its native state or when manipulated by methods well known to those skilled in the art, it can be transcribed and/or translated to produce the mRNA for and/or the polypeptide or a fragment thereof. The anti-sense strand is the complement of such a nucleic acid, and the encoding sequence can be deduced therefrom.

Functional fragments and variants of a polypeptide: Included are those fragments and variants that maintain one or more functions of the parent polypeptide. It is recognized that the gene or cDNA encoding a polypeptide can be considerably mutated without materially altering one or more the polypeptide's functions. First, the genetic code is well-known to be degenerate, and thus different codons encode the same amino acids. Second, even where an amino acid substitution is introduced, the mutation can be conservative and have no material impact on the essential function(s) of a protein. See Stryer Biochemistry 3rd Ed., (c) 1988. Third, part of a polypeptide chain can be deleted without impairing or eliminating all of its functions. Fourth, insertions or additions can be made in the polypeptide chain for example, adding epitope tags, without impairing or eliminating its functions (Ausubel et al. J. Immunol. 159(5): 2502-12, 1997). Other modifications that can be made without materially impairing one or more functions of a polypeptide include, for example, in vivo or in vitro chemical and biochemical modifications or the incorporation of unusual amino acids. Such modifications include, for example, acetylation, carboxylation, phosphorylation, glycosylation, ubiquination, labeling, e.g., with radionucleides, and various enzymatic modifications, as will be readily appreciated by those well skilled in the art. Many methods for labeling polypeptides and labels useful for such purposes are well known in the art, and include radioactive isotopes such as ³²P, ligands which bind to or are bound by labeled specific binding partners (e.g., antibodies), fluorophores, chemiluminescent agents, enzymes, and antiligands. Functional fragments and variants can be of varying length. For example, some fragments have at least 10, 25, 50, 75, 100, 200, or even more amino acid residues.

Gene Cluster: A set of genetic elements the protein products of which form a biosynthetic pathway. For example, the pactamycin biosynthetic pathway from Streptomyces pactum can be formed by the gene cluster including ORFs 1 to 53.

Heterologous: As it relates to nucleic acid sequences such as coding sequences and control sequences, “heterologous” denotes sequences that are not normally associated with a region of a recombinant construct, and/or are not normally associated with a particular cell. Thus, a “heterologous” region of a nucleic acid construct is an identifiable segment of nucleic acid within or attached to another nucleic acid molecule that is not found in association with the other molecule in nature. For example, a heterologous region of a construct could include a coding sequence flanked by sequences not found in association with the coding sequence in nature. Another example of a heterologous coding sequence is a construct where the coding sequence itself is not found in nature (e.g., synthetic sequences having codons different than the native gene). Similarly, a host cell transformed with a construct which is not normally present in the host cell would be considered heterologous for purposes of this disclosure.

Homologous amino acid sequence: Any polypeptide which is encoded, in whole or in part, by a nucleic acid sequence that hybridizes to any portion of the coding region nucleic acid sequences. A homologous amino acid sequence is one that differs from an amino acid sequence shown in the sequence listing by one or more conservative amino acid substitutions. Such a sequence also encompasses allelic variants (defined above) as well as sequences containing deletions or insertions which retain the functional characteristics of the polypeptide. Preferably, such a sequence is at least 75%, more preferably 80%, more preferably 85%, more preferably 90%, more preferably 95%, and most preferably 98% identical to any one of the amino acid sequences.

Homologous amino acid sequences include sequences that are identical or substantially identical to the amino acid sequences of the sequence listing. By “substantially identical to the amino acid sequence” it is meant a sequence that is at least 90%, preferably 95%, more preferably 97%, and most preferably 99% identical to an amino acid sequence of reference. In an example, the sequence is at least 90% and differs from the sequence of reference by conservative amino acid substitutions. Polypeptides having a sequence homologous to any one of the amino acid sequences of the sequence listing include naturally-occurring allelic variants, as well as mutants or any other non-naturally occurring variants that retain the inherent characteristics (e.g., biosynthetic activity) of any polypeptide of the sequence listing. Homology can be measured using sequence analysis software such as Sequence Analysis Software Package of the Genetics Computer Group, University of Wisconsin Biotechnology Center, 1710 University Avenue, Madison, Wis. 53705. Amino acid sequences can be aligned to maximize identity. Gaps can also be artificially introduced into the sequence to attain optimal alignment. Once the optimal alignment has been set up, the degree of homology is established by recording all of the positions in which the amino acids of both sequences are identical, relative to the total number of positions. Homologous polynucleotide sequences are defined in a similar way. Preferably, a homologous sequence is one that is at least 45%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 91%, 92%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99% or identical to any one of the coding sequences.

Hybridization: Oligonucleotides and other nucleic acids hybridize by hydrogen bonding, which includes Watson-Crick, Hoogsteen or reversed Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding, between complementary bases. Generally, nucleic acid consists of nitrogenous bases that are either pyrimidines (cytosine (C), uracil (U), and thymine (T)) or purines (adenine (A) and guanine (G)). These nitrogenous bases form hydrogen bonds between a pyrimidine and a purine, and the bonding of the pyrimidine to the purine is referred to as base pairing. More specifically, A will hydrogen bond to T or U, and G will bond to C. Complementary refers to the base pairing that occurs between two distinct nucleic acid sequences or two distinct regions of the same nucleic acid sequence.

For example, specifically hybridizable and specifically complementary are terms that indicate a sufficient degree of complementarity such that stable and specific binding occurs between a first nucleic acid (such as, an oligonucleotide) and a DNA or RNA target. The first nucleic acid (such as, an oligonucleotide) need not be 100% complementary to its target sequence to be specifically hybridizable. A first nucleic acid (such as, an oligonucleotide) is specifically hybridizable when there is a sufficient degree of complementarity to avoid non-specific binding of the first nucleic acid (such as, an oligonucleotide) to non-target sequences under conditions where specific binding is desired. Such binding is referred to as specific hybridization.

Hybridization conditions resulting in particular degrees of stringency will vary depending upon the nature of the hybridization method of choice and the composition and length of the hybridizing nucleic acid sequences. Generally, the temperature of hybridization and the ionic strength (especially the Na⁺ concentration) of the hybridization buffer will determine the stringency of hybridization, though wash times also influence stringency. Calculations regarding hybridization conditions required for attaining particular degrees of stringency are discussed by Sambrook et al. (ed.) Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2nd ed., vol. 1-3, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1989, chapters 9 and 11.

The following are exemplary sets of hybridization conditions and are not meant to be limiting.

Very High Stringency (Detects Sequences that Share 90% Sequence Identity)

-   -   Hybridization: 5×SSC at 65° C. for 16 hours     -   Wash twice: 2×SSC at room temperature (RT) for 15 minutes each     -   Wash twice: 0.5×SSC at 65° C. for 20 minutes each         High Stringency (Detects Sequences that Share 80% Sequence         Identity or Greater)     -   Hybridization: 5×-6×SSC at 65° C.-70° C. for 16-20 hours     -   Wash twice: 2×SSC at RT for 5-20 minutes each     -   Wash twice: 1×SSC at 55° C.-70° C. for 30 minutes each         Low Stringency (Detects Sequences that Share Greater than 50%         Sequence Identity)     -   Hybridization: 6×SSC at RT to 55° C. for 16-20 hours     -   Wash at least twice: 2×-3×SSC at RT to 55° C. for 20-30 minutes         each.

In-frame disruption: An alteration of a target nucleotide sequence (e.g., insertion, deletion, or other alteration of the sequence) that is made in frame and thereby does not lead to a frameshift, e.g., maintains the translational reading frame of the target sequence and any downstream sequences. In certain instances, an in-frame disruption may alter the entire sequence of a gene product, so that the determination as to whether the alteration was made in-frame is made by reference to downstream nucleotide sequences and gene products encoded thereby. By way of contrast, an alteration to a target nucleotide sequence that is not in-frame, and therefore does not give rise to an in-frame disruption, would not maintain the translational reading frame of the target sequence or a sequence located downstream of the target sequence.

Isolated: An isolated biological component (such as a nucleic acid molecule or protein) is one that has been substantially separated or purified away from other biological components in the cell of the organism in which the component naturally occurs, such as other chromosomal and extra-chromosomal DNA and RNA, proteins and organelles. With respect to nucleic acids and/or polypeptides, the term can refer to nucleic acids or polypeptides that are no longer flanked by the sequences typically flanking them in nature. Nucleic acids and proteins that have been isolated include nucleic acids and proteins purified by standard purification methods. The term also embraces nucleic acids and proteins prepared by recombinant expression in a host cell as well as chemically synthesized nucleic acids.

Label: An agent capable of detection, for example by spectrophotometry, flow cytometry, or microscopy. For example, a label can be attached to a nucleotide, thereby permitting detection of the nucleotide, such as detection of the nucleic acid molecule of which the nucleotide is a part. Examples of labels include, but are not limited to, radioactive isotopes, enzyme substrates, co-factors, ligands, chemiluminescent agents, fluorophores, haptens, enzymes, and combinations thereof. Methods for labeling and guidance in the choice of labels appropriate for various purposes are discussed for example in Sambrook et al. (Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., 1989) and Ausubel et al. (In Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1998).

Nucleic Acid: A deoxyribonucleotide or ribonucleotide polymer in either single or double stranded form, and unless otherwise limited, encompasses known analogues of natural nucleotides that hybridize to nucleic acids in a manner similar to naturally occurring nucleotides.

Nucleotide: This term includes, but is not limited to, a monomer that includes a base linked to a sugar, such as a pyrimidine, purine or synthetic analogs thereof, or a base linked to an amino acid, as in a peptide nucleic acid. A nucleotide is one monomer in a polynucleotide. A nucleotide sequence refers to the sequence of bases in a polynucleotide.

Oligonucleotide: A plurality of joined nucleotides joined by native phosphodiester bonds, between about 6 and about 300 nucleotides in length. An oligonucleotide analog refers to moieties that function similarly to oligonucleotides but have non-naturally occurring portions. For example, oligonucleotide analogs can contain non-naturally occurring portions, such as altered sugar moieties or inter-sugar linkages, such as a phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide. Functional analogs of naturally occurring polynucleotides can bind to RNA or DNA, and include peptide nucleic acid molecules.

Particular oligonucleotides and oligonucleotide analogs can include linear sequences up to about 200 nucleotides in length, for example a sequence (such as DNA or RNA) that is at least 6 bases, for example at least 8, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 100 or even 200 bases long, or from about 6 to about 50 bases, for example about 10-25 bases, such as 12, 15, or 20 bases.

Open reading frame (ORF): A series of nucleotide triplets (codons) coding for amino acids without any internal termination codons. These sequences are usually translatable into a peptide. For example, ORF, open reading frame, and pactamycin ORF refer to an open reading frame in the pactamycin biosynthetic gene cluster as isolated from Streptomyces pactum. The term also embraces the same ORFs as present in other pactamycin-synthesizing organisms. The term encompasses allelic variants and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In certain instances the term pactamycin ORF is used synonymously with the polypeptide encoded by the pactamycin ORF and may include conservative substitutions in that polypeptide. The particular usage will be clear from context.

Operably linked: A first nucleic acid sequence is operably linked with a second nucleic acid sequence when the first nucleic acid sequence is placed in a functional relationship with the second nucleic acid sequence. For instance, a promoter is operably linked to a coding sequence if the promoter affects the transcription or expression of the coding sequence. Generally, operably linked DNA sequences are contiguous and, where necessary to join two protein-coding regions, in the same reading frame.

Ortholog: Two nucleic acid or amino acid sequences are orthologs of each other if they share a common ancestral sequence and diverged when a species carrying that ancestral sequence split into two species. Orthologous sequences are also homologous sequences.

Pactamycin: A structurally unique aminocyclitol antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces pactum, consists of a 5-member ring aminocyclitol (cyclopentitol) unit, two aromatic rings (6-methyl salicylic acid 3-aminoacetophenone) and a 1,1-dimethylurea (Wiley et al., J. Org. Chem., 35: 1420-1425, 1970; and Rinehart et al., J. Nat. Prod. 43: 1-20, 1979) as illustrated in FIG. 1B. It has been suggested that the five-member ring aminocyclitol moiety of pactamycin is derived from glucose, whereas the 6-methyl salicylic acid is derived from acetic acid. The 3-aminoacetophenone moiety is derived from an unknown branch of the amino-shikimate pathway. The four-methyl groups and the hydroxymethine carbon in the molecule are derived from methionine as shown in FIG. 1B (Weller and Rinehart, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 100: 6757-6760, 1978). Pactamycin has potent antibacterial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Bhuyan, Appl. Microbial., 10: 302-304, 1962). It also shows a strong anti-tumor activity.

Polypeptide: A polymer in which the monomers are amino acid residues which are joined together through amide bonds. When the amino acids are alpha-amino acids, either the L-optical isomer or the D-optical isomer can be used, the L-isomers being preferred. The term polypeptide or protein as used herein encompasses any amino acid sequence and includes modified sequences such as glycoproteins. The term polypeptide is specifically intended to cover naturally occurring proteins, as well as those that are recombinantly or synthetically produced.

The term polypeptide fragment refers to a portion of a polypeptide that exhibits at least one useful epitope. The phrase functional fragment of a polypeptide refers to all fragments of a polypeptide that retain an activity (such as a biological activity), or a measurable portion of an activity, of the polypeptide from which the fragment is derived. Fragments, for example, can vary in size from a polypeptide fragment as small as an epitope capable of binding an antibody molecule to a large polypeptide capable of participating in the characteristic induction or programming of phenotypic changes within a cell.

The term substantially purified polypeptide as used herein refers to a polypeptide that is substantially free of other proteins, lipids, carbohydrates or other materials with which it is naturally associated. In one embodiment, the polypeptide is at least 50%, for example at least 80% free of other proteins, lipids, carbohydrates or other materials with which it is naturally associated. In another embodiment, the polypeptide is at least 90% free of other proteins, lipids, carbohydrates or other materials with which it is naturally associated. In yet another embodiment, the polypeptide is at least 95% free of other proteins, lipids, carbohydrates or other materials with which it is naturally associated.

Probes and primers: Nucleic acid probes and primers can be readily prepared based on the nucleic acid molecules provided in this disclosure. A probe comprises an isolated nucleic acid attached to a detectable label or reporter molecule. Typical labels include radioactive isotopes, enzyme substrates, co-factors, ligands, chemiluminescent or fluorescent agents, haptens, and enzymes. Methods for labeling and guidance in the choice of labels appropriate for various purposes are discussed, e.g., in Sambrook et al. (In Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, CSHL, New York, 1989) and Ausubel et al. (In Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Greene Publ. Assoc. and Wiley-Intersciences, 1992).

Primers are short nucleic acid molecules, preferably DNA oligonucleotides, 10 nucleotides or more in length. More preferably, longer DNA oligonucleotides can be about 15, 17, 20, or 23 nucleotides or more in length. Primers can be annealed to a complementary target DNA strand by nucleic acid hybridization to form a hybrid between the primer and the target DNA strand, and then the primer extended along the target DNA strand by a DNA polymerase enzyme. Primer pairs can be used for amplification of a nucleic acid sequence, e.g., by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or other nucleic-acid amplification methods known in the art.

Methods for preparing and using probes and primers are described, for example, in Sambrook et al. (In Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, CSHL, New York, 1989), Ausubel et al. (In Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Greene Publ. Assoc. and Wiley-Intersciences, 1998), and Innis et al. (PCR Protocols, A Guide to Methods and Applications, Academic Press, Inc., San Diego, Calif., 1990). PCR primer pairs can be derived from a known sequence, for example, by using computer programs intended for that purpose such as Primer (Version 0.5, © 1991, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, Mass.). One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the specificity of a particular probe or primer increases with its length. Thus, in order to obtain greater specificity, probes and primers can be selected that comprise at least 17, 20, 23, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 or more consecutive nucleotides of desired nucleotide sequence. In particular examples, probes or primers can be at least 100, 250, 500, 600 or 1000 consecutive nucleic acids of a desired nucleotide sequence.

Protein: A biological molecule expressed by a gene and comprised of amino acids.

Purified: The term purified does not require absolute purity; rather, it is intended as a relative term. Thus, for example, a purified protein preparation is one in which the protein referred to is more pure than the protein in its natural environment within a cell.

Recombinant: A nucleic acid that has a sequence that is not naturally occurring or has a sequence that is made by an artificial combination of two otherwise separated segments of sequence. This artificial combination can be accomplished by chemical synthesis or, more commonly, by the artificial manipulation of isolated segments of nucleic acids, e.g., by genetic engineering techniques. “Recombinant” also is used to describe nucleic acid molecules that have been artificially manipulated, but contain the same control sequences and coding regions that are found in the organism from which the gene was isolated.

Sequence identity: The similarity between two nucleic acid sequences or between two amino acid sequences is expressed in terms of the level of sequence identity shared between the sequences. Sequence identity is typically expressed in terms of percentage identity; the higher the percentage, the more similar the two sequences.

Methods for aligning sequences for comparison are well known in the art. Various programs and alignment algorithms are described in: Smith and Waterman, Adv. Appl. Math. 2:482, 1981; Needleman and Wunsch, J. Mol. Biol. 48:443, 1970; Pearson and Lipman, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85:2444, 1988; Higgins and Sharp, Gene 73:237-244, 1988; Higgins and Sharp, CABIOS 5:151-153, 1989; Corpet et al., Nucleic Acids Research 16:10881-10890, 1988; Huang, et al., Computer Applications in the Biosciences 8:155-165, 1992; Pearson et al., Methods in Molecular Biology 24:307-331, 1994; Tatiana et al., (1999), FEMS Microbiol. Lett., 174:247-250, 1999. Altschul et al. present a detailed consideration of sequence-alignment methods and homology calculations (J. Mol. Biol. 215:403-410, 1990).

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST™, Altschul et al., J. Mol. Biol. 215:403-410, 1990) is available from several sources, including the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI, Bethesda, Md.) and on the Internet, for use in connection with the sequence-analysis programs blastp, blastn, blastx, tblastn and tblastx. A description of how to determine sequence identity using this program is available on the internet under the help section for BLASTT™.

For comparisons of amino acid sequences of greater than about 30 amino acids, the “Blast 2 sequences” function of the BLAST™ (Blastp) program is employed using the default BLOSUM62 matrix set to default parameters (cost to open a gap [default=5]; cost to extend a gap [default=2]; penalty for a mismatch [default=−3]; reward for a match [default=1]; expectation value (E) [default=10.0]; word size [default=3]; number of one-line descriptions (V) [default=100]; number of alignments to show (B) [default=100]). When aligning short peptides (fewer than around 30 amino acids), the alignment should be performed using the Blast 2 sequences function, employing the PAM30 matrix set to default parameters (open gap 9, extension gap 1 penalties). Proteins (or nucleic acids) with even greater similarity to the reference sequences will show increasing percentage identities when assessed by this method, such as at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, or at least 95% sequence identity.

For comparisons of nucleic acid sequences, the “Blast 2 sequences” function of the BLAST™ (Blastn) program is employed using the default BLOSUM62 matrix set to default parameters (cost to open a gap [default=11]; cost to extend a gap [default=1]; expectation value (E) [default=10.0]; word size [default=11]; number of one-line descriptions (V) [default=100]; number of alignments to show (B) [default=100]). Nucleic acid sequences with even greater similarity to the reference sequences will show increasing percentage identities when assessed by this method, such as at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 98% sequence identity.

An alternative indication that two nucleic acid molecules are closely related is that the two molecules hybridize to each other (see “Hybridization” above).

Nucleic acid sequences that do not show a high degree of identity can nevertheless encode similar amino acid sequences, due to the degeneracy of the genetic code. It is understood that changes in nucleic acid sequence can be made using this degeneracy to produce multiple nucleic acid molecules that all encode substantially the same protein.

Streptomyces: A genus of Actinobacteria, a group of Gram-positive and generally high GC-content bacteria. Streptomycetes are found predominantly in soil and in decaying vegetation, and most produce spores. They are characterized by a complex secondary metabolism and produce a large number of antibiotics that are in clinical use (such as, neomycin and chloramphenicol).

Transfected: A process by which a nucleic acid molecule is introduced into cell, for instance by molecular biology techniques, resulting in a transfected (or transformed) cell. As used herein, the term transfection encompasses all techniques by which a nucleic acid molecule might be introduced into such a cell, including transduction with viral vectors, transfection with plasmid vectors, and introduction of DNA by electroporation, lipofection, and particle gun acceleration.

Vector: A nucleic acid molecule as introduced into a host cell, thereby producing a transfected host cell. Recombinant DNA vectors are vectors having recombinant DNA. A vector can include nucleic acid sequences that permit it to replicate in a host cell, such as an origin of replication. A vector can also include one or more selectable marker genes and other genetic elements known in the art. Viral vectors are recombinant DNA vectors having at least some nucleic acid sequences derived from one or more viruses.

Unless otherwise explained, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The singular terms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, the word “or” is intended to include “and” unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is further to be understood that all base sizes or amino acid sizes, and all molecular weight or molecular mass values, given for nucleic acids or polypeptides are approximate, and are provided for description. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of this disclosure, suitable methods and materials are described below. The term “comprises” means “includes.” In case of conflict, the present specification, including explanations of terms, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

Suitable methods and materials for the practice of the disclosed embodiments are described below. In addition, any appropriate method or technique well known to the ordinarily skilled artisan can be used in the performance of the disclosed embodiments. Some conventional methods and techniques applicable to the present disclosure are described, for example, in Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 2^(nd) ed., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1989; Sambrook et al., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, 3d ed., Cold Spring Harbor Press, 2001; Ausubel et al., Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Greene Publishing Associates, 1992 (and Supplements to 2000); Ausubel et al., Short Protocols in Molecular Biology: A Compendium of Methods from Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, 4th ed., Wiley & Sons, 1999; Harlow and Lane, Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1990; and Harlow and Lane, Using Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1999.

All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In case of conflict, the present specification, including explanations of terms, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

III. Pactamycin Gene Cluster, ORFs, and Proteins Encoded Thereby

This disclosure provides the nucleic acid sequence of a pactamycin gene cluster located within an 86.35 kb genetic locus (SEQ ID NO: 54), the ORFs contained therein, and the proteins encoded thereby. This information enables, for example, the isolation of related nucleic acid molecules encoding homologs of the pactamycin gene cluster and the corresponding ORFs, such as in other Streptomyces sp. This disclosure further enables the production of variants of the enzymes (such as, methyltransferases and peroxidases) or proteins (such as a regulatory protein) encoded by a pactamycin gene cluster or subsequence therein, nucleic acid molecules encoding such variants, and the production of in vitro systems for drug manufacture.

The pactamycin gene cluster (SEQ ID NO: 54, nucleotides 1-86350) includes 53 ORFs referred to as ORF 1 to 53, from which 26 ORFs are considered to be the core cluster directly involved in the biosynthesis of pactamycin (orf28-orf53 corresponding to ptmA-ptmZ). Exemplary functions of the proteins encoded by genes forming the core cluster (ptmA-ptmZ) and numerous additional genes upstream and downstream of the core cluster (orf1 to orf27) which may be involved in the transcriptional regulation of the pathway and/or in resistance, are provided in Table 1; these functions are assigned by homology.

TABLE 1 Function of proteins encoded by genes in the pactamycin gene cluster. SEQ ID Exemplary function (homologous protein Identity Sim. Protein NO. aa and/or source organism) (%) (%) PtmA 19 391 Glutamine-scyllo-inositol transaminase 43 54 Roseiflexus castenholzii) 37 50 L-alanine: N-amidino-3-keto-scyllo inosamine aminotransferase (StsC, Strep. griceus) PtmB 20 570 Carbamoyltransferase (MmcS, Strep. 47 59 lavendulae) PtmC 21 367 Fe—S Radical SAM oxidoreductase (MitD, 32 50 Strep. lavendulae) PtmD 22 358 HemK family methyltransferase (Strep. 35 49 ambofaciens) PtmE 23 178 Hypothetical protein SACE-5647 38 59 (Saccharopolyspora erythraea) PtmF 24 216 UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 1- 26 41 carboxyvinyltransferase (Streptococcus 38 52 gordonii str. Challis substr. CH1) or DNA binding winged-HTH domain (Silicibacter sp.) PtmG 25 378 Putative deacetylase (MitC, Strep. lavendulae) 38 46 PtmH 26 661 Radical SAM + B12 domain protein 53 69 (Salinispora arenicola) PtmI 27 94 Putative acyl carrier protein (Clostridium 33 61 perfringens) PtmJ 28 318 Glycosyltransferase (MiB, Strep. lavendulae) 34 43 PtmK 29 562 3-oxoacyl-(ACP) synthase 44 55 (Saccharopolyspora erythreae) PtmL 30 575 Radical SAM + B12 binding domain 32 47 (Rhodospeudomonas palustris) PtmM 31 578 Radical SAM + B12 binding domain 31 46 (Rhodospeudomonas palustris) PtmN 32 351 Oxidoreductase (YcjS, Escherichia coli) 33 50 PtmO 33 257 Hydrolase or acyltransferase (Rhodococcus 40 52 sp.) PtmP 34 211 Phosphopantetheinyltransferase (PptA, 43 55 Silicibacter pomeroyi) PtmQ 35 1844 PKS (6-methylsalicylic acid synthase) 53 63 (ChlB1, S. antibioticus) PtmR 36 357 3-oxoacyl-(ACP) synthase (CalO4, 41 59 Micromonospora echinospora) PtmS 37 505 Acyl-CoA synthetase (HbmAI, Strep. 29 37 hygroscopicus) PtmT 38 444 Glutamate-1-semialdehyde aminotransferase 37 56 (Staphylococcus aureus) PtmU 39 279 NAD⁺-dependent oxidoreductase (SimJ1, 40 53 Strep. antibioticus) PtmV 40 226 Phosphoglycerate mutase (Nocardia 37 53 farcinica) PtmW 41 271 Hypothetical protein SAV3686 (Strep. 46 55 avermitilis) PtmX 42 431 Integral membrane protein (Strep. coelicolor) 58 68 PtmY 17 397 Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (Strep. 59 71 tubercidicus) PtmZ 18 162 Glutathione peroxidase (Mycobacterium 60 72 vanbaaleni) Orf1 1 483 Phosphoribosylformylglycinamidine synthase 86 92 II (Strep. coelicolor) Orf2 2 295 Hypothetical protein SAV4137(Strep. 59 68 avermitilis) Orf3 3 524 N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase 53 65 (Therm. fusca) Orf4 4 527 Amidophosphoribosyltransferase (Strep. 89 96 coelicolor) Orf5 5 366 Phosphoribosylaminoimidazole synthetase 84 90 (Strep. coelicolor) Orf6 6 364 Valine dehydrogenase (NADP+) (Strep. 85 93 avermitilis) Orf7 7 272 Hypothetical protein SAV4131 (Strep. 71 82 avermitilis) Orf8 8 211 Hypothetical protein blr0521 (Brady. 37 44 japonicum) Orf9 9 1328 ATP-dependent helicase (Strep. avermitilis) 79 88 Orf10 10 328 Integral memberane protein (Strep. 76 84 coelicolor) Orf11 11 575 ECF-family RNA polymerase signma factor 48 62 (Sacch. erythraea) Orf12 12 385 FAD-dependent pyridine nucleotide- 49 60 disulphide oxidoreductase (Sacch. erythraea) Orf13 13 156 Hypothetical protein SCO4094 (Strep. 93 96 coelicolor) Orf14 14 255 Translation initiation factor IF-2 (Frankia 32 35 alni) Orf15 15 150 Translation initiation factor IF-2 (Strep. 40 40 avermitilis) Orf16 16 788 ATP-dependent RNA helicase (Strep. 69 76 avermitilis) Orf17 43 488 Peptidase (Strep. avermitilis) 56 66 Orf18 44 193 Nourseothricin acetyltransferase (Strep. 57 67 noursei) Orf19 45 1043 ATP-dependent helicase (Strep. avermitilis) 67 80 Orf20 46 360 Hypothetical protein LEUM_1013 28 45 Orf21 47 549 Hypothetical protein SAV_4116 (Strep. 61 72 avermitilis) or integral membrane protein 60 70 (Strep. coelicolor) Orf22 48 134 Glycosyl transferase family 51 (Salin. 38 44 Arenicola) or hypothetical protein SCO5273 37 45 Orf23 49 430 tRNA methyltransferase (Strep. avermitilis) 79 85 Orf24 50 394 Hypothetical protein SCO4113 (Strep. 80 84 coelicolor) (predicted dehydrogenase) Orf25 51 492 Sporulation associated protein (Strep. 90 93 coelicolor) Orf26 52 720 Secreted protein (Strep. coelicolor) or 69 77 asparagine synthetase (Strep. avermitilis) 26 36 Orf27 53 398 Partial amino acid sequence

A number of in vitro enzyme assays have previously been developed within homologous systems that can be used to assess the activity of recombinant proteins from the pactamycin pathway. These include assays that assess the activity of the aminotransferases (Huang et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 3: 1410-1418, 2005), the carbamoyltransferases (Meyers et al., Biochemistry, 43: 15022-15036, 2004), the nucleotidyltransferases (Kudo et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 127: 1711-1718, 2005), the acyltransferases (Xiong et al., Chembiochem 6: 834-837, 2005), the phosphopantetheinyltransferases (Sanchez et al., Chem. Biol. 8: 725-738, 2001), the oxidoreductases (Shen et al., J. Biol. Chem. 269: 30726-30733, 1994), and the cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (Walczak et al., J. Bacteriol. 181: 298-304, 1999). Similar work has been done on the recombinant expression of PKS modules, similar to those required for the biosynthesis of the 6-methylsalicylic acid moiety of pactamycin (Reviewed in: Finking et al., Annu Rev. Microbiol., 58: 453-488, 2004; Hill, Nat. Prod. Rep., 23: 256-320, 2006).

In addition to the in vitro characterization of enzymes from the ptm pathway, genetic modification of the host and/or heterologous expression of the entire or partial gene cluster encoding patamycin biosynthesis may be utilized as a tool to study enzyme function and generate derivative compounds. The methodology used to generate deletion mutants in Actinomycetes is widely available and many well developed vector constructs exist for episomal replication as well as chromosomal integration (Keiser et al. Practical Streptomyces Genetics. John Innes Foundation, Norwich 2000). These tools may be utilized to generate S. pactum deletion mutants that specifically alter expression levels or other characteristics of specific gene loci within the ptm cluster.

In certain examples, the entire or partial gene cluster may be heterologusly expressed in host strains, such as Streptomyces lividans and Pseudomonas putida. S. lividans and P. putida have been extensively used in the expression of complex biosynthetic gene clusters resulting in the production of secondary metabolites (Keiser et al., Practical Streptomyces Genetics. John Innes Foundation, Norwich 2000; Gross et al., Chem. Biol., 13: 1253-1264, 2006b; Wenzel et al., Chem. Biol., 12: 349-356, 2005).

With the provision herein of the sequences of the disclosed gene locus (SEQ ID NO: 54) and the ORFs contained therein (ORFS 1 to 53), in vitro nucleic acid amplification (such as PCR) may be utilized as a simple method for producing nucleic acid sequences encoding one or more of the pactamycin biosynthetic proteins listed in Table 1. The following provides representative techniques for preparing a protein-encoding nucleic acid molecule in this manner.

RNA or DNA is extracted from cells by any one of a variety of methods well known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Sambrook et al. (In Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, 1989) and Ausubel et al. (In Current Protocols in Molecular Biology, Greene Publ. Assoc. and Wiley-Intersciences, 1992) provide representative descriptions of methods for RNA or DNA isolation. The pactamycin biosynthetic enzymes are expressed, at least, in Streptomyces pactum. Thus, in some examples, RNA or DNA may be extracted from Streptomyces pactum cells. Extracted RNA is used, for example, as a template for performing reverse transcription (RT)-PCR amplification to produce cDNA. Representative methods and conditions for RT-PCR are described by Kawasaki et al. (In PCR Protocols, A Guide to Methods and Applications, Innis et al. (eds.) 21-27 Academic Press, Inc., San Diego, Calif., 1990).

The selection of amplification primers will be made according to the portion(s) of the DNA that is to be amplified. In one embodiment, primers may be chosen to amplify a segment of a DNA molecule (e.g., a specific ORF or set of adjacent ORFs, with or without regulatory sequences, or regulatory sequences alone) or, in another embodiment, the entire DNA molecule. Variations in amplification conditions may be required to accommodate primers and amplicons of differing lengths and composition; such considerations are well known in the art and are discussed for instance in Innis et al. (PCR Protocols, A Guide to Methods and Applications, Academic Press, Inc., San Diego, Calif., 1990). By way of example, the nucleic acid molecules encoding selected pactamycin biosynthetic enzymes (such as, methyltransferases) may be amplified using primers directed towards the 5′- and 3′-ends of the prototypical S. pactum ptm C, D, H, L, and M sequences which encode proteins with SEQ ID NOs: 21, 22, 26, 30, and 31. It will be appreciated that many different primers may be derived from the provided nucleic acid sequences. Re-sequencing of amplification products obtained by any amplification procedure is recommended to facilitate confirmation of the amplified sequence and to provide information on natural variation between a pactamycin and amplified sequence. Oligonucleotides derived from any of the pactamycin sequences may be used in sequencing, for instance, the corresponding pactamycin (or pactamycin-related) amplicon.

In addition, both conventional hybridization and PCR amplification procedures may be utilized to clone sequences encoding orthologs of the pactamycin gene cluster, or pactamycin ORFs (for example, one or more of the nucleic acids encoding SEQ ID NOs: 1-53). Common to both of these techniques is the hybridization of probes or primers that are derived from the pactamycin gene cluster, with or without the upstream and downstream flanking regions, or pactamycin ORFs nucleic acid sequences. Furthermore, the hybridization may occur in the context of Northern blots, Southern blots, or PCR.

Direct PCR amplification may be performed on DNA libraries prepared from the bacterial species in question, or RT-PCR may be performed using RNA extracted from the bacterial cells using standard methods. PCR primers will comprise at least 10 consecutive nucleotides of the pactamycin gene cluster with or without the upstream and downstream flanking regions or pactamycin ORFs nucleic acid sequences. One of skill in the art will appreciate that sequence differences between the pactamycin gene cluster or pactamycin ORFs nucleic acid sequences and the target nucleic acid to be amplified may result in lower amplification efficiencies. To compensate for this, longer PCR primers or lower annealing temperatures may be used during the amplification cycle. Whenever lower annealing temperatures are used, sequential rounds of amplification using nested primer pairs may be useful to enhance amplification specificity.

Orthologs of the disclosed pactamycin biosynthetic proteins are likely present in a number of other members of the Streptomyces genus, in other strains of the Streptomyces pactum species, and in other organisms producing pactamycin-like antibiotics. For example, Streptomyces sp. SIP1-A3-121 produces pactamycin analogs such as 8″-hydroxypactamycin and 7-deoxypactamycin (Dobashi et al., J. Antibiot. 39(12), 1779-1783, 1986). With the provision of the nucleic acid sequence of the disclosed pactamycin gene cluster and its ORFs 1-53, the cloning by standard methods of protein-encoding DNA (such as, ORFs) and gene clusters that encode pactamycin biosynthetic enzyme orthologs in these other organisms is now enabled. Orthologs of the disclosed pactamycin biosynthetic enzymes and proteins have a biological activity or function as disclosed herein, including for example peroxidase/hydrolase activity, oxidoreductase/mutase/dehydrogenase/hydroxylase activity, aminotransferase activity, methyltransferase activity, kinase activity, polyketide synthase activity or a regulatory protein function.

Orthologs will generally share sequence identity with the nucleic acid sequences encoding the disclosed pactamycin biosynthetic proteins (for example, one or more of SEQ ID NOs: 1-53) so that the primay functions of the proteins, such as the functions provided in Table 1, are maintained. In specific embodiments, orthologous pactamycin gene clusters or pactamycin ORFs may share at least 35%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80% at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 93%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, or at least 98% sequence identity (or more) with one of the disclosed Streptomyces pactum nucleotide or amino acid sequences.

For conventional hybridization techniques, the hybridization probe is preferably conjugated with a detectable label such as a radioactive label, and the probe is preferably at least 10 nucleotides in length. As is well known in the art, increasing the length of hybridization probes tends to give enhanced specificity. A labeled probe derived from a pactamycin gene cluster or pactamycin ORF nucleic acid sequence may be hybridized to a bacterial DNA library and the hybridization signal detected using methods known in the art. The hybridizing colony or plaque (depending on the type of library used) is purified and the cloned sequence contained in that colony or plaque isolated and characterized.

In specific examples, genomic library construction can be accomplished rapidly using a variety of cosmid or fosmid systems that are commercially available (e.g., Stratagene or EPICENTRE®). Advantageously, these systems minimize instability of the cloned DNA. In such examples, genomic library screening is followed by cosmid or fosmid isolation, grouping into families of overlapping clones and analysis to establish cluster identity. Cosmid end sequencing can be used to obtain preliminary information regarding the relevance of a particular clone based on expected pathway characteristics predicted from the natural product structure and its presumed biosynthetic origin.

Orthologs of a pactamycin gene cluster or pactamycin ORF nucleic acid sequences alternatively may be obtained by immunoscreening of an expression library. With the provision herein of the disclosed 86.35 kb gene locus (SEQ ID NO: 54) and the identification of the ORFs therein, the corresponding proteins can be expressed and purified in a heterologous expression system (e.g., E. coli or Streptomyces) and used to raise antibodies (monoclonal or polyclonal) specific for the pactamycin biosynthetic enzymes or proteins, such as peroxidase, hydrolase, oxidoreductase, mutase, dehydrogenase, hydroxylase, aminotransferase, methyltransferase, kinase, or polyketide synthase. Antibodies also may be raised against synthetic peptides derived from the pactamycin amino acid sequences presented herein (SEQ ID NOs: 1-53). Methods of raising antibodies are well known in the art and are described generally in Harlow and Lane, Antibodies, A Laboratory Manual, Cold Springs Harbor, 1988. Such antibodies can be used to screen an expression library produced from bacteria. For example, this screening will identify the pactamycin orthologs. The selected DNAs can be confirmed by sequencing and enzyme activity assays.

Oligonucleotides derived from a pactamycin gene cluster or nucleic acid sequences (e.g., SEQ ID NO: 54), or fragments of these nucleic acid sequences, are encompassed within the scope of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, oligonucleotides may comprise a sequence of at least 10 consecutive nucleotides of a pactamycin gene cluster or a pactamycin ORF nucleic acid sequence. If these oligonucleotides are used with an in vitro amplification procedure (such as PCR), lengthening the oligonucleotides may enhance amplification specificity. Thus, in other embodiments, oligonucleotide primers comprising at least 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, or more consecutive nucleotides of these sequences may be used. In another example, a primer comprising 30 consecutive nucleotides of a nucleic acid molecule encoding a pactamycin peroxidase/hydrolase (such as nucleotides encoding proteins with amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 18 or 33), methyltransferase (such as nucleotides encoding proteins with amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 21, 22, 26, 30, and 31) or a regulatory protein (such as, nucleotides encoding proteins with amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 9, 10 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 24, or 42) will anneal to a target sequence, such as a pactamycin gene cluster or a pactamycin homolog present in a DNA library from another Streptomyces species (or other organisms producing pactamycin-like antibiotics), with a higher specificity than a corresponding primer of only 15 nucleotides. In order to obtain greater specificity, probes and primers can be selected that comprise at least 15, 20, 23, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 or more consecutive nucleotides of pactamycin gene cluster or a pactamycin nucleotide sequences. In particular examples, probes or primers can be at least 100, 250, 500, 600 or 1000, such as up to 2000 consecutive nucleic acids of a disclosed pactamycin gene cluster or a pactamycin nucleotide sequence encoding proteins with amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 53. Oligonucleotides (such as, primers or probes) may be obtained from any region of a disclosed pactamycin gene cluster or a pactamycin ORF nucleic acid sequence. By way of example, an pactamycin gene cluster or a pactamycin ORF sequence may be apportioned into about halves, thirds, quarters or other desirable lengths based on sequence profiling, and the isolated nucleic acid molecules (e.g., oligonucleotides) may be derived from the first or second halves of the molecules, from any of the three thirds, from any of the four quarters or from any other desirable lengths of the molecule deduced by those of skill in the art. The nucleic acid sequence of interest also could be divided into smaller regions, e.g., about eighths, sixteenths, twentieths, fiftieths and so forth, with similar effect. Alternatively, it may be divided into regions that encode for conserved domains. For example, PtmC, which is believed to catalyze the cyclization of sugar precursor to the cyclopentitol unit, can be used as probe to identify other gene clusters of cyclopentitol-containing antibiotics. Also, swapping of conserved domains in PtmO (the acyltransferase) with those of other acyltransferases would alter the substrate specificity of the resulting enzymes, which in turn may produce different analogs of pactamycin.

IV. Pactamycin Biosynthetic Enzyme and Protein Variants

With the provision herein of pactamycin biosynthetic proteins and corresponding nucleic acid sequences, the creation of variants of these sequences is now enabled. In an example, variant pactamycin biosynthetic enzymes include proteins that differ in amino acid sequence from the disclosed prototype enzymes and still retain a measurable amount of the biological activity/function of the prototype proteins as listed in Table 1. In an alternative example, variant pactamycin biosynthetic enzymes include proteins that differ in amino acid sequence from the disclosed prototype enzymes and produce a protein with properties that are distinct (e.g., less toxic, different biological activity or function, etc.) from the prototype proteins as listed in Table 1.

In one embodiment, variant pactamycin biosynthetic proteins include proteins that differ in amino acid sequence from the disclosed pactamycin biosynthetic protein sequences (e.g., SEQ ID NOs: 1-53) but that share at least 65% amino acid sequence identity with such enzyme sequences. In other embodiments, other variants will share at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 98% amino acid sequence identity. Manipulation of the disclosed pactamycin gene cluster (+/− upstream and downstream flanking regions) and pactamycin ORF nucleotide sequences using standard procedures (e.g., site-directed mutagenesis, gene disruption techniques or PCR), can be used to produce such variants. The simplest modifications involve the substitution of one or more amino acids for amino acids having similar biochemical properties. These so-called conservative substitutions are likely to have minimal impact on the activity of the resultant protein.

In some embodiments, the function of a pactamycin biosynthetic protein variant can be maintained if amino acid substitutions are introduced in regions outside of the conserved domains of the protein, where amino acid substitutions are less likely to affect protein function. By way of example, conserved domains can be determined by comparing the sequence of a protein as provided herein with the sequence of other proteins and noting those regions of the protein that are less likely to vary, that have been preserved through evolution, or that are required for function.

In another embodiment, more substantial changes in pactamycin biosynthetic enzyme function or other protein features may be obtained by selecting amino acid substitutions that are less conservative than conservative substitutions. In one specific, non-limiting, embodiment, such changes include changing residues that differ more significantly in their effect on maintaining polypeptide backbone structure (e.g., sheet or helical conformation) near the substitution, charge or hydrophobicity of the molecule at the target site, or bulk of a specific side chain. The following specific, non-limiting, examples are generally expected to produce the greatest changes in protein properties: (a) a hydrophilic residue (e.g., seryl or threonyl) is substituted for (or by) a hydrophobic residue (e.g., leucyl, isoleucyl, phenylalanyl, valyl or alanyl); (b) a proline is substituted for (or by) any other residue; (c) a residue having an electropositive side chain (e.g., lysyl, arginyl, or histadyl) is substituted for (or by) an electronegative residue (e.g., glutamyl or aspartyl); or (d) a residue having a bulky side chain (e.g., phenylalanine) is substituted for (or by) one lacking a side chain (e.g., glycine).

Variant pactamycin biosynthetic enzyme or protein encoding sequences may be produced by standard DNA mutagenesis techniques. In one specific, non-limiting, embodiment, M13 primer mutagenesis is performed. Details of these techniques are provided in Sambrook et al. (In Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, 1989), Ch. 15. By the use of such techniques, variants may be created that differ from the disclosed pactamycin enzyme or protein sequences. DNA molecules and nucleotide sequences that are derivatives of those specifically disclosed herein, and which differ from those disclosed by the deletion, addition, or substitution of nucleotides while still encoding a protein having the biological activity of the prototype enzyme.

In one embodiment, variants may differ from the disclosed sequences by alteration of the coding region to fit the codon usage bias of the particular organism into which the molecule is to be introduced. In other embodiments, the coding region may be altered by taking advantage of the degeneracy of the genetic code to alter the coding sequence such that, while the nucleotide sequence is substantially altered, it nevertheless encodes a protein having an amino acid sequence substantially similar to the disclosed pactamycin enzymes and amino acid sequences (e.g., SEQ ID NOs:1-53). For example, because of the degeneracy of the genetic code, four nucleotide codon triplets—GCT, GCG, GCC and GCA—code for alanine. The coding sequence of any specific alanine residue within a pactamycin synthetic enzyme, therefore, could be changed to any of these alternative codons without affecting the amino acid composition or characteristics of the encoded protein. Based upon the degeneracy of the genetic code, variant DNA molecules may be derived from the nucleic acid sequences disclosed herein using standard DNA mutagenesis techniques, as described above, or by synthesis of DNA sequences. Thus, this disclosure also encompasses nucleic acid sequences that encode a synthetic pactamycin enzyme (such as, peroxidase, hydrolase, polyketide synthase, kinase, methyltransferase, aminotransferase, oxidoreductase, mutase, dehydrogenase, or hydroxylase) or protein (such as, regulatory protein), but which vary from the disclosed nucleic acid sequences by virtue of the degeneracy of the genetic code.

In one embodiment, variants of a pactamycin biosynthetic enzyme or protein may also be defined in terms of its sequence identity with the prototype pactamycin biosynthetic enzymes or variants. Nucleic acid sequences that encode such proteins/fragments readily may be determined simply by applying the genetic code to the amino acid sequence of a pactamycin biosynthetic enzyme, protein or fragment thereof, and such nucleic acid molecules may readily be produced by assembling oligonucleotides corresponding to portions of the sequence.

Nucleic acid molecules that are derived from a pactamycin gene cluster and pactamycin ORF nucleic acid sequences include molecules that hybridize under low stringency, high stringency, or very high stringency conditions to the disclosed prototypical pactamycin gene cluster, pactamycin ORFs and fragments thereof.

Nucleic acid molecules encoding one or more pactamycin biosynthetic enzyme or protein (including the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOs: 1-53, and nucleic acids encoding these sequences), and orthologs and homologs of these sequences, may be incorporated into transformation or expression vectors.

V. Biosynthetic Production of Pactamycin and Intermediates

Biosynthetic methods for synthesizing pactamycin disclosed herein are useful for efficient production of the antibiotic. In certain embodiments the biosynthetic methods employ variant enzymes that alter the biosynthesis, for example to improve efficiency or produce analog compounds. In analogous fashion others have employed polyketide synthase cassettes to prepare natural products and their analogs. For example, Kosan Biosciences, Inc. has used biosynthetic methods to produce erthyromycin antibiotics and the epothilone antitumor agents. In another example, Walsh and Marahiel laboratories have successfully attached synthetic polypeptides as well as hybrid polyketides-polypeptides to PEGA resin beads to effect macrocyclization reactions from cloned and soluble thioesterases (TEs), such as that from the tyrocidine A pathway (Kohli et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 99: 1247-1252, 2002; and Kohli et al., Nature, 418:658-661, 2002). Thus, cloning and expression of the pactamycin biosynthetic gene cluster or ORFs in a heterologous host, such as E. coli or Streptomyces, can be used to increase production of pactamycin, a pactamycin precursor, a pactamycin intermediate, or an enzyme or protein included within the gene cluster. In addition, genetic recombination and domain-exchange constructs permit the creation of pactamycin structures that would be difficult to make using traditional synthetic methodologies. Pactamycin is a very complex compound with a densely functionalized structure, which makes it very difficult to be synthesized chemically. Thus alternative methods of structure modification e.g., via genetic or biosynthetic approaches are needed.

In an embodiment, a recombinant expression system is selected from prokaryotic hosts. Bacterial cells are available from numerous sources, including commercial sources known to those skilled in the art, such as the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC; Manassas, Va.). Commercial sources of cells used for recombinant protein expression also provide instructions for usage of such cells.

One representative heterologous host system for expression of a pactamycin gene cluster is Streptomyces sp. In specific examples, Streptomyces has been used as an artificial host to express NRPS-encoding gene clusters of very large sizes (see, e.g., Stutzman-Engwall and Hutchinson Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 86: 3135-3139, 1989; Motamedi and Hutchinson Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 84: 4445-4449, 1987; Grim et al. Gene 151: 1-10 1994; Kao et al. Science 265: 509-512, 1994: and Hopwood et al. Meth. Enzymol., 153: 116-166, 1987). Streptomyces sp. are useful heterologous host systems because they are easily grown, plasmids and cosmids for the expression and/or integration of biosynthetic gene clusters are well characterized, and they house many of the modifying and auxiliary enzymes required to produce functional pathways (Donadio et al., J. Biotechnol., 99:187-198, 2002).

Another representative heterologous host system for expression of a pactamycin gene cluster (or one or more of its ORFs) is E. coli. E. coli has successfully been used for the functional production of NRPS and PKS enzyme systems (Kealey et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 95(2):505-509, 1998; Pfeifer, App. Environ. Microbiol., 69(11): 6698-6702, 2003). E. coli is an attractive artificial expression system because it is fast growing and easy to genetically manipulate. Recent advances in E. coli-based expression systems have greatly aided efforts to simultaneously express multiple genes in a single host organism. Multiple ORFs from a complex biosynthetic system can now be expressed simultaneously in E. coli. To ensure adequate and coordinate production of multiple biosynthetic enzymes from a single pathway, each ORF is optionally placed under control of a single type of promoter, such as the inducible T7 promoter. Novagen (San Diego, Calif.) has introduced the Duet™ vectors, which are designed with compatible replicons and drug resistance genes for effective propagation and maintenance of four plasmids in a single cell. This allows for the coexpression of up to eight different proteins. The activity of particular enzymes may require the correct post-translational modification of the corresponding peptidyl carrier protein. Typically this is accomplished by the co-expression of an appropriate phosphopantetheinyl transferase (PPtase) gene, for example sfp from Bacillus subtilus (Quadri et al., Biochem., 37(6):1585-1595, 1998).

The choice of the expression system will be influenced by the features desired for the expressed polypeptides. Any transducible cloning vector can be used as a cloning vector for the nucleic acid constructs presently disclosed. If large clusters are to be expressed, it is preferable that phagemids, cosmids, Pls, YACs, BACs, PACs, HACs, MACs, or similar cloning vectors are used for cloning the nucleotide sequences into the host cell and subsequent expression. These vectors are advantageous due to their ability to insert and stably propagate larger fragments of DNA, compared to M13 phage and lambda phage.

In an embodiment, one or more of the disclosed ORFs and/or variants thereof can be inserted into one or more expression vectors, using methods known to those of skill in the art. Vectors are used to introduce pactamycin biosynthesis genes or a gene cluster into host cells either integrated or episomal. Prokaryotic host cells or other host cells with rigid cell walls may be transformed using any method known in the art, including, for example, calcium phosphate precipitation, or electroporation. Representative prokaryote transformation techniques are described in Dower (Genetic Engineering, Principles and Methods, 12: 275-296, Plenum Publishing Corp., 1990) and Hanahan et al. (Methods Enzymol., 204: 63, 1991). Vectors include one or more expression control sequences operably linked to the desired ORF(s). However, the choice of an expression cassette may depend upon the host system selected and features desired for the expressed polypeptide or natural product. Typically, the expression cassette includes a promoter that is functional in the selected host system and can be constitutive or inducible. In an embodiment, the expression cassette includes for each ORF a promoter, ribosome binding site, a start codon (ATG) if necessary, and optionally a region encoding a leader peptide in addition to the desired DNA molecule and stop codon. In addition, a 3′ terminal region (translation and/or transcription terminator) can be included within the cassette. The ORF constituted in the DNA molecule may be solely controlled by the promoter so that transcription and translation occur in the host cell. Promoter encoding regions are well known and available to those of skill in the art. Examples of promoters include control sequences derived from pactamycin and/or NRPS gene clusters, bacterial promoters (such as those derived from sugar metabolizing enzymes, such as galactose, lactose and maltose), promoter sequences derived from biosynthetic enzymes such as tryptophan, the beta-lactamase promoter system, bacteriophase lambda PL and TF and viral promoters.

The presence of additional regulatory sequences within the expression cassette may be desirable to allow for regulation of expression of the one or more ORFs relative to the growth of the host cell. These regulatory sequences are well known in the art. Examples of regulatory sequences include sequences that turn gene expression on or off in response to chemical or physical stimulus as well as enhancer sequences. In addition, to the regulatory sequences, selectable markers can be included to assist in selection of transformed cells. For example, genes that confer antibiotic resistance or sensitivity to the plasmid may be used as selectable markers.

It is contemplated that various pactamycin ORFs and/or gene cluster or proteins of interest can be cloned into one or more recombinant vectors as individual cassettes, with separate control elements, or under the control of a single control element (e.g., a promoter). In an embodiment, the cassettes include two or more restriction sites to allow for the easy deletion and insertion of other open reading frames so that hybrid synthetic pathways can be generated. The design and use of such restriction sites is well known in the art and can be carried out by using techniques described above such as PCR or site-directed mutagenesis. Proteins expressed by the transformed cells can be recovered according to standard methods well known to those of skill in the art. For example, proteins can be expressed with a convenient tag to facilitate isolation. Further, the resulting polypeptide can be purified by affinity chromatography by using a ligand (such as a compound related to pactamycin) that binds to the polypeptide.

After production, the novel secondary metabolites can be purified and/or analyzed by methods well known to one of skill in the art including a multitude of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, including HPLC, LC-MS, GC-MS, and

NMR analysis.

In certain embodiments, the metabolites produced as described herein will be isolated from mutant S. pactum strains or other host organisms and will provide pactamycin analogs for biochemical evaluation or further semisynthetic modification. For example, a compound produced using a variant pactamycin gene cluster can be isolated and semisynthetically modified by one or more chemical reactions to produce novel pactamycin analogs.

VI. Pharmaceutical Compositions

This disclosure includes pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one pactamycin-like antibiotic formulation for use in human or veterinary medicine. Embodiments of pharmaceutical compositions include a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and at least one active ingredient. Useful pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and excipients are known in the art. Active ingredients may comprise, for example, at least one pactamycin compound such as pactamycin as described herein. In addition, other medicinal or pharmaceutical agents, for example, with similar, related or complementary effects on the affliction being treated, may be included as active ingredients in pharmaceutical compositions.

The pharmaceutical compositions comprising pactamycin—like antibiotics may be formulated in a variety of ways depending, for example, on the mode of administration and/or on the location and type of disease to be treated. For example, such pharmaceutical compositions may be formulated as pharmaceutically acceptable salts. As another example, parenteral formulations may comprise injectable fluids that are pharmaceutically and physiologically acceptable fluid vehicles such as water, physiological saline, other balanced salt solutions, aqueous dextrose, glycerol or the like. Excipients may include, for example, nonionic solubilizers, such as cremophor, or proteins, such as human serum albumin or plasma preparations. If desired, the pharmaceutical composition to be administered may also contain non-toxic auxiliary substances, such as wetting or emulsifying agents, preservatives, and pH buffering agents and the like, for example, sodium acetate or sorbitan monolaurate.

The dosage form of the pharmaceutical composition will be determined by the mode of administration chosen. For example, in addition to injectable fluids, topical and oral formulations may be employed. Topical preparations may include eye drops, ointments, sprays and the like. Oral formulations may be liquid (e.g., syrups, solutions or suspensions), or solid (e.g., powders, pills, tablets, or capsules). For solid compositions, conventional non-toxic solid carriers may include pharmaceutical grades of mannitol, lactose, starch, or magnesium stearate. Actual methods of preparing such dosage forms are known, or will be apparent, to those skilled in the art.

Certain embodiments of the pharmaceutical compositions comprising pactamycin-like antibiotics as described herein may be formulated in unit dosage form suitable for individual administration of precise dosages. The amount of a therapeutic compound administered will depend on the subject being treated, the severity of the affliction, and the manner of administration, and is known to those skilled in the art. Within these bounds, the formulation to be administered will contain a quantity of the pactamycin analogs disclosed herein in an amount effective to achieve the desired effect in the subject being treated (e.g., eliminating Gram-positive pathogens, Gram-negative pathogens or anti-tumor activity).

VII. Therapeutic Uses

The present disclosure contemplates treatments for infection of a subject by a Gram-positive bacteria and/or Gram-negative bacteria. Such treatments include administering a pactamycin derivative, or a combination of the derivative and one or more other pharmaceutical agents (also referred to herein as “drug” or “drugs”), to the subject in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and in an amount effective to treat a Gram-positive and/or Gram-negative bacteria. Subjects can be selected using more specific criteria, such as a definitive diagnosis of a condition based on, for example, a biological specimen that has been provided to be tested for a bacterial infection.

In other examples, the present disclosure contemplates treatments for tumors, such as cancer. Such treatments include administering a pactamycin derivative, or a combination of the derivative and one or more other pharmaceutical agents (also referred to herein as “drug” or “drugs”), to the subject in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and in an amount effective to reduce or eliminate the tumor, such as inhibiting tumor growth. Subjects can be selected using more specific criteria, such as a definitive diagnosis of a condition based on, for example, a biological specimen that has been provided to be tested for tumor cells.

The vehicle in which the drug is delivered may include, for example, the pharmaceutical compositions described above. Routes of administration include but are not limited to oral and parenteral routes, such as intravenous (iv), intraperitoneal (ip), rectal, topical, ophthalmic, nasal, and transdermal.

Therapeutically effective doses of a pactamycin derivative can be determined by one of skill in the art. An example of a dosage range is 0.1 to 200 mg/kg body weight orally in single or divided doses. Another example of a dosage range is 1.0 to 100 mg/kg body weight orally in single or divided doses. For oral administration, the compositions are, for example, provided in the form of a tablet containing 0.1 or 1.0 to 1000 mg of the active ingredient, particularly 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 500, 600, and 1000 mg of the active ingredient for the symptomatic adjustment of the dosage to the subject being treated.

The specific dose level and frequency of dosage for any particular subject may be varied and will depend upon a variety of factors, including the activity of the specific pactamycin compound, the metabolic stability and length of action of that compound, the age, body weight, general health, sex and diet of the subject, mode and time of administration, rate of excretion, drug combination, and severity of the condition of the subject undergoing therapy.

The following examples are provided to illustrate certain particular features and/or embodiments. These examples should not be construed to limit the invention to the particular features or embodiments specifically described.

EXAMPLES Example 1 Isolation and Characterization of a Pactamycin Gene Cluster

This Example describes the cloning and characterization of a pactamycin biosynthesis gene cluster.

Materials and Methods Preparation of the Fosmid Library of Pactamycin Gene Cluster from S. Pactum ATCC 27456

In order to obtain the biosynthetic gene cluster of pactamycin in S. pactum ATCC 27456 (purchased from American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, Va.), a genomic library was prepared using the Copy Control™ Fosmid system (EPICENTRE®). This strain was cultured in YMG medium at 30° C. overnight. The broth was centrifuged at 5,000 rpm for 5 min. The supernatant was discarded, and the pellet was washed with 10.3% sucrose solution. The suspension was further washed with 2×TE buffer. Six mL of lysis buffer (10 mg/mL lysozyme, 0.1 M EDTA, 10 mM Tris-HCl pH 8, 15% sucrose) was added, and then mixed gently. Furthermore, 100 μL proteinase K (20 mg/mL) and 3.6 mL SDS (10%) were added to the suspension, and the mixture was incubated at 37° C. for 1.5 hr. CTAB (1.6 mL) was added to the solution and incubated at 65° C. for 10 min. Following incubation, an equal volume of Phenol/CHCl₃ (1:1) was added to the CTAB/supernatant solution and mixed until milky. The aqueous layer was removed, placed into a new tube and then, extracted with CHCl₃. Following extraction with CHCl₃, the aqueous layer was transferred into a new tube. A one-tenth volume of 3M NaOAc (pH 5.2) and 2 volumes of 100% EtOH was added to the supernatant, incubated at room temperature, and centrifuged at 13,000 rpm for 20 min. The EtOH solution was discarded and the pellet washed with 70% EtOH twice. The precipitated chromosomal DNA was spooled using a Sheppard's hook and the pellet was redissolved in water. Analysis of the genomic DNA by gel electrophoresis indicated that DNA fragments were ˜40 Kb.

Fosmid library preparation of the genomic DNA of S. pactum ATCC 27456 was carried out according to the protocols of the CopyControl™ Fosmid Library Production Kit (EPICENTRE®). To repair the ends of insert DNA, genomic DNA was treated with End-repair Enzyme at room temperature for 45 min and then the reaction was quenched by incubation at 70° C. for 20 min. The gel containing ˜40 Kb DNA was cut and the expected DNA (30-40 Kb) was isolated by DNA Extraction KIT (FERMENTAS; Glen Burnie, Md.).

The chromosomal DNA was ligated together with Fast-link ligase and the pCC1 FOS vector. Then, the ligation reaction was added into the packaging extract and incubated at 30° C. for 90 min. Phage Dilution buffer and a small amount of CHCl₃ was added to the mixture. The suspension was centrifuged for 1 min.

The competent cells, EPI300-TI, for titering were cultured in LB/0.2% maltose/10 mM MgSO₄ medium at 37° C. until OD₆₀₀ of 0.8. The cells were pelleted, resuspended in half of their original volume with 10 mM MgSO₄, and further diluted to an OD₆₀₀ of 0.5 with 10 mM MgSO₄. Ten microliters of packaging reaction and 100 μL of the bacterial cells were mixed and incubated at 37° C. for 30 min. The supernatant was spread on LB agar with 12.4 μg/mL chloramphenicol, and incubated at 37° C. overnight. Once the tittering was complete and optimized, the remainder of the packagining extract was used to infect the EPI300 cells. In total, 3,000 Fosmid colonies were obtained on the agar plates.

DNA Probe and Southern Hybridization Screening.

A heterologous PKS probe was initially used to screen the library. Since, 6-methylsalicylic acid is a precursor involved in pactamycin biosynthesis, homologous genes encoding 6-methylsalicylate synthase were initially identified through a detailed literature search, including the 6-methylsalicylate synthase cloned from the fungus Glarea lozoyensis (Lu et al., Mol. Genet. Genomics, 273: 207-216, 2005). The homology of this gene sequence was searched by BLAST and the results suggested that the sequence is homologous with a RifB, a PKS gene involved in rifamycin biosynthesis. Thus, the ketosynthase domain in the rifB gene was amplified by PCR with the primers KS_F (GAG CCC GTC GCG ATC GTC, SEQ ID NO: 55) and RifB_KS_R (CGC TTC TTC GAG GAT CAT GT, SEQ ID NO: 56), Taq DNA polymerase and Amycolatopsis mediterranei (a rifamycin producer that contains rifB) genomic DNA as template. For library screening, library colonies were transferred onto Hybond-N⁺ nylon membrane. Hybridization was performed with rifB KS domain probe by DIG-labeling (DIG Easy hyb protocol) to give 44 positive fosmid clones.

In addition, pactamycin has two amino groups, which are predicted to be introduced by aminotransferase enzymes. Therefore, the aminotransferase gene (cetM) was prepared from the cetoniacytone A biosynthetic gene cluster as a heterologous probe, which was amplified by PCR using primers: CetM-F (GAA GAT CTG CAT ATG AGC GGC CCT GGT TAC CT, SEQ ID NO: 57) and CetM R (GGA ATT CTCAT TTC CTC GCA ACC ACT TCG, SEQ ID NO: 58), Taq DNA polymerase, and cetoniacytone producer (Actinomyces sp.) genomic DNA as a template. Fosmid DNA from the 44 positive fosmids isolated in the PKS screening was digested with ApaI. The fragmented DNA was separated on an electrophoresis gel and then transferred onto a nylon membrane. Hybridization was further carried out with the aminotransferase probe to obtain 10 fosmid clones that contained genes homologous to both PKS and aminotransferases.

Finally, the pactamycin compound has a number of methyl and ethyl groups derived from methionine. The attachment of these groups may be catalyzed by methyltransferase related to clo U (C-methyltransferase) from the clorobiocin biosynthetic gene cluster. CloU was generously provided by L. Heide and used to screen the 44 PKS-positive fosmids by Southern hybridization. Notably, only fosmid TIP3 was positive for all three heterologous probes and was further analyzed for its involvement in pactamycin biosynthesis. Further screening using PCR approaches resulted in the identification of three additional fosmid clones that housed DNA fragments overlapping with sequences found in fosmid TIP3.

In order to confirm the sequence of TIP3, a 2.5 kb ApaI fragment of TIP3 was cloned into pBluescript (SK⁻). The plasmid was transferred into E. coli DH-10B. The sequence of the 2.5 kb fragment of TIP3 revealed a putative carbamoyltranferase and radical SAM enzyme. As the chemical structure of pactamycin contains a carbamoyl group as well as several methyl- and other groups that are derived from SAM, it is suggested that carbamoyltranferase and radical SAM enzymes may be involved in the biosynthesis of pactamycin) Additional primers were designed on the basis of these genes to get more sequence for the gene cluster. The sequence of the complete gene cluster was obtained by gene walking with the primers and by pyrosequencing technology carried out by Macrogen Inc.

Results i. Isolation of Gene Cluster

The biosynthetic gene cluster of pactamycin in S. pactum ATCC 27456 was isolated as described above in the Material and Methods Section. In brief, the library was screened using a number of heterologous probes including the PKS module of the rifamycin gene cluster (rUB) (August et al., Chem. Biol., 5: 69-79, 1998), the aminotransferase gene from the cetoniacytone A biosynthetic gene cluster (cetM), and the C-methyltransferase gene from the clorobiocin biosynthetic gene cluster (cloU) (Freitag et al., Microbiology, 152: 2433-2442, 2006). Screening using the PKS probe (rifB) resulted in 44 positive clones, whereas screening using cetM and cloU resulted in 10 and 6 positive clones, respectively. Among them, only one clone (TIP3) was positive with all three different probes.

A total of 86.35 kb of DNA sequence of TIP3 and the flanking regions was obtained using a combination of pyrosequencing, shotgun sequencing, and primer walking methodologies. Analysis of the sequence using BLAST Search indicated the presence of 53 ORFs (FIG. 2). These represent a combination of structural and regulatory genes involved in pactamycin biosynthesis. For example, PtmA (391 aa, SEQ ID NO: 19) shows homology to DegT/DnrJ/EryCl/StsC aminotransferase family (37% identity, 50% similarity). The members of this family have been characterized as pyridoxal-phosphate-dependent aminotransferase enzymes with a variety of molecular functions. The aminotransferase activity was demonstrated for purified StsC protein as the L-alanine:N-amidino-3-keto-scyllo-inosose aminotransferase, which catalyses the first amino transfer in the biosynthesis of the streptidine subunit of the antibiotic streptomycin (Ahlert et al., Arch.Microbiol. 168: 102-113, 1997).

PtmB (570 aa, SEQ ID NO: 20) is homologous with the carbamoyltransferase MmcS from Streptomyces lavendulae (47% identity, 59% similarity), which is involved in mitomycin biosynthesis (Mao et al., Chem. Biol. 6: 251-263, 1999). This enzyme is predicted to catalyze N-carbamoylation of cyclopentitol core unit.

PtmC (367 aa, SEQ ID NO: 21) is similar to MitD (32% identity/50% similarity; Mao et al., Chem. Biol. 6: 251-263, 1999), and thought to catalyze one of several different types of reactions including either methylation, oxidation, isomerization, sulfur insertion or protein radical formation. Within the pactamycin cluster, this enzyme is predicted to act as a methyltransferase or a cyclase.

PtmD (358 aa, SEQ ID NO: 22) indicates homology to the HemK family methyltransferase (35% identity, 49% similarity) from S. ambofaciens (Ikeda et al., Nat. Biotechnol. 21: 526-531, 2003; Omura et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 98: 12215-12220, 2001). PtmD is predicted to convert the carbamoyl group generated by PtmB into the N-dimethyl functionality seen in the final product.

PtmE (178 aa, SEQ ID NO: 23) is homologous to a glucokinase from Xanthomonas campestris (Thieme et al., J. Bacteria 187: 7254-7266, 2005). The enzyme may be involved in the phosphorylation of the C-1 of the cyclopentitol unit, the product of which may be then converted to a nucleotidyldiphosphate derivative.

PtmF (216 aa; SEQ ID NO: 24) demonstrates weak homology to DNA binding response regulators or two-component transcription regulators (i.e., DNA winged). The protein is predicted to be involved in the transcriptional regulation of the pathway.

PtmC (SEQ ID NO: 21), PtmH (SEQ ID NO: 26), PtmL (SEQ ID NO: 30), and PtmM (SEQ ID NO: 31) have all been identified by BLAST analysis as Radical SAM enzymes. Radical SAM enzymes include a large superfamily of enzymes involved in several different types of reactions, including: methylation, oxidation, isomerization, sulfur insertion, and protein radical formation. Homology between family members is often low, but a conserved CX₃CX₂C motif is present in all family members, including PtmC, -H, -L, and -M, and has been shown to coordinate the [4Fe-4S] cluster. Of the four Radical SAM homologs, PtmL and PtmM share high sequence homology (79% identity) with one another, whereas they share only modest homology with PtmH (14% identity with PtmM) and PtmC (7% identity with PtmM). BLAST analysis of PtmL and PtmM revealed that in addition to the iron-sulfur binding motif, they also contain a B 12-like binding domain. Several members of this subfamily of Radical SAM enzymes have been shown to act as methyltransferases. Thus, PtmL and PtmM are predicted to mediate C-methyltransferase activity during pactamycin biosynthesis. Although PtmH shares low sequence homology with PtmL or PtmM, it also retains a conserved B 12-like binding domain and is predicted to act as a C-methyltransferase as well.

Analysis of PtmC has revealed that this enzyme lacks a B 12-like binding motif and more closely resembles the subfamily of Radical SAM enzymes involved in redox chemistry. PtmC, PtmJ (SEQ ID NO: 28; putative glycosyltransferase), and PtmG (SEQ ID NO: 25; putative deacetylase) are predicted to be involved in the formation of cyclopentitol 6 (FIG. 3), and that this process may be similar to the formation of the mitosane core structure during mitomycin biosynthesis.

The Radical SAM enzyme MitD, the glycosyltransferase MitB, and the putative N-deacetylase MitC from the mitomycin biosynthetic gene cluster are close homologs of PtmC, PtmJ, and PtmG, respectively. During mitomycin biosynthesis, D-glucosamine is assembled into the mitosane core structure via condensation with an AHBA subunit. The MitB homolog (PtmJ) is capable of coupling UDP-N-acetyl-α-D-glucosamine and 3-aminoacetophenone. Intermediate 4 is predicted to undergo deacetylation, possibly by the N-deacetylase homolog PtmG followed by radical-mediated rearrangement by PtmC to form the cyclopentitol ring structure. Alternatively, cyclopentitol formation could also be mediated through an NADtdependent oxidoreductase reaction mechanism involving PtmN or PtmU. One of the latter enzymes is also proposed to mediate a conversion of intermediate 6 to compound 7 (FIG. 3).

The 3-aminoacetophenone unit (2) is derived from the shikimate pathway, possibly diverging at the dehydroquinate (DHQ) or dehydroshikimate (DHS) intermediate steps. The putative PtmA (SEQ ID NO: 19) or PtmT (SEQ ID NO: 38) aminotransferase enzymes may be involved with the transamination of DHS to 3-aminobenzoic acid (14). Further processing of this molecule by PtmI (SEQ ID NO: 27), PtmK (SEQ ID NO: 29), PtmR (SEQ ID NO: 36), and PtmS (SEQ ID NO: 37) are predicted to complete the biosynthesis of the aminoacetophenone precursor (FIG. 4). PtmK is similar to α-ketoacyl-ACP synthase (KAS) I and II, whereas PtmR is similar to KAS III, which are responsible for the elongation steps in fatty acid biosynthesis. PtmK or PtmR are predicted to be involved in this extension as depicted in FIG. 4. In this scenario, the putative acyl-CoA synthetase (PtmS; SEQ ID NO: 37) is proposed to activate 3-aminobenzoic acid (14) to 3-aminobenzoyl-CoA (15). Alternatively, PtmS is predicted to function as an adenylation domain, as it contains an AMP binding domain similar to the loading domain of RifA from the rifamycin biosynthetic gene cluster. Thus, PtmS may convert 14 to its AMP derivative. If PtmK (a KAS I/II homolog) is involved in the chain extension, it may require two ACP-bound substrates, whereas if PtmR (KAS III) is involved, it may require a CoA-ester starter unit and an ACP-bound extender unit. Given that only one discrete acyl carrier protein (ACP) gene (ptml) is present in the cluster, it is predicted that PtmR is the enzyme that catalyzes the condensation reaction. The extender unit malonyl-CoA (19) may be loaded onto the discrete ACP (PtmI) by the putative hydrolase/acyltransferase PtmO (FIG. 4). PtmO (SEQ ID NO: 33) may also be involved in the release of the product from the ACP-bound intermediate, although it is not clear if the same enzyme can catalyze both reactions. Finally, decarboxylation of the product is predicted to yield the aminoacetophenone precursor (2). This decarboxylation may occur spontaneously or is catalyzed by a yet to be identified dedicated enzyme. Further investigations are being made to reveal the mode of formation of 3-aminoacetophenone in S. pactum.

PtmO (257 aa, SEQ ID NO: 33) shows homology to putative hydrolase/acyltransferase from Nocardia farcinica (Ishikawa et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101: 14925-14930, 2004), which normally catalyzes esterification reactions. This enzyme may be involved in the attachment of 6-methyl salicylic acid to the 5-member core cyclitol unit. Therefore, PtmO may be important in drug discovery and development efforts as inactivation of this enzyme may result in the production of pactamycin analogs lacking the 6-methylsalicylic acid side chain. The resulting intermediate can be used as a scaffold for generating libraries of pactamycin analogs, as the free primary hydroxyl group can be modified by attaching various side chains using mutasynthetic, chemical synthetic, or enzymatic approaches. The intermediate or the products thereof may also be linked to cancer specific monoclonal antibodies. The products could potentially be used as ‘smart bullets’ that selectively target cancer cells, and leave normal cells unaffected.

PtmP (211 aa, SEQ ID NO: 34) is similar with phosphopantetheinyltransferases, including PptA from Silicibacter pomeroyi (Moran et al., Nature 432: 910-913, 2004). This enzyme is predicted to be responsible for the activation of ACP domains of PtmI and PtmQ.

PtmQ (SEQ ID NO: 35) shares high similarity with the iterative type I PKS, Ch1B1, that is involved in the biosynthesis of 6-methylsalicylic acid (6-MSA) in S. antibioticus.

The activity of PtmQ in the biosynthesis of the 6-MSA subunit of pactamycin has been confirmed through heterologous expression and gene inactivation, and is required for pactamycin biosynthesis as described herein. 6-MSA may be converted to 6-MSA-CoA and subsequently ligated with the pactamycin core structure(s) (i.e. compounds 9 and/or 10) as proposed in FIG. 3.

PtmS (505 aa, SEQ ID NO: 37) shows homology with acyl CoA synthetases that contain AMP binding domains (29% identity/37% similarity). Similar enzymes have been found to activate the starter unit 3-amino-5-hydroxy-benzoic acid (AHBA) in the biosynthesis of ansamycin antibiotics rifamycin (August et al., Chem. Biol. 5: 69-79, 1998; Schupp et al., FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 159: 201-207, 1998; .Admiraal et al., Biochemistry 40: 6116-6123, 2001; Admiraal et al., Biochemistry 41: 5313-5324, 2002), geldanamycin and herbimycin (Rascher et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 4862-4871, 2005). In pactamycin biosynthesis, PtmS is proposed to catalyze the conversion of 3-aminobenzoic acid to 3-aminobenzoyl-CoA (FIG. 4). For example, ptmS encodes the protein PtmS corresponding to SEQ ID NO: 37.

The deduced product of ptmQ has the characteristic of PKS domains, including ketosynthase (KS), acyltransferase (AT) and PP binding domains. This enzyme shows high homology with the iterative type I PKS, Ch1B1, that is involved in the biosynthesis of 6-methylsalicylic acid (6-MSA) in S. antibioticus (Jia et al., Chem. Biol. 13, 575-585, 2006).

As there is only one acyl-CoA synthetase gene (ptmS) present in the pactamycin cluster, PtmS (SEQ ID NO: 37) may catalyze the activation of 3-aminobenzoic acid or 6-MSA or both (FIGS. 4 and 5). Similarly, the putative acyltransferase, PtmO (SEQ ID NO: 33), which was proposed to be involved in the loading of malonyl-CoA to the ACP (PtmI) in the formation of 3-aminoacetophenone, may instead catalyze the attachment of 6-MSA to the core cyclopentitol moiety.

PtmT (444 aa, SEQ ID NO: 38) is similar to glutamate-1-semialdehyde aminotransferase (37% identity, 56% similarity) from Staphylococcus aureus (Holden et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101: 9786-9791, 2004), which may be involved in the biosynthesis of 3-aminobenzoic acid.

PtmU (279 aa, SEQ ID NO: 39) is similar to NADtdependent oxidoreductase (40% identity; 53% similarity) from S. antibioticus (Galm et al., Arch. Microbiol. 178 (2): 102-114, 2002).

PtmV (226 aa, SEQ ID NO: 40) is similar to phosphoglycerate mutase (37% identity; 53% similarity) from Nocardia farcinica (Ishikawa et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101: 14925-14930, 2004). PtmV may play a role in the oxidative metabolism of intermediates during pactamycin biosynthesis, similar to PtmN or PtmU.

PtmW (271 aa, SEQ ID NO: 41) is similar to hypothetical protein SAV3686 (46% identity; 55% similarity) from S. avermitilis (Ikeda et al., Nat. Biotechnol. 21 (5): 526-531, 2003; Omura et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 98 (21): 12215-12220, 2001).

PtmX (SEQ ID NO: 42) is similar to an integral membrane protein (58% identity; 68% similarity) from S. colicolor (Bentley et al. Nature 417: 141-147, 2002). This protein is predicted to have a role in the transport of pactamycin across the cell membrane.

PtmY (SEQ ID NO: 17) shares high homology with cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenases (CYP) sharing 59% identity and 71% similarity with CYP107L3 from Streptomyces tubercidicus, and is predicted to mediate hydroxylation of C-7 of pactamycin.

PtmZ (SEQ ID NO: 18) is highly conserved with glutathione peroxidases with 60% identity and 72% similarity with the putative glutathione peroxidase from Mycobacterium vanbaalenii.

Orfl1 (SEQ ID NO: 11) shares high homology with the extracytoplasmic function (ECF) subfamily of RNA polymerase sigma factors (48% identity and 62 similarity). Sigma factors can enhance the transcriptional initiation processes of RNA polymerase by increasing specific binding of the polymerase to gene promoters. ECF sigma factors are present in complex prokaryotic genomes and are divergent from most other sigma factors. Many of the characterized ECF sigma factors are co-transcribed with one or more negative regulators. These can include transmembrane proteins that bind with the sigma factor and inhibit its activity until the appropriate stimulus activates the transmembrane protein and releases the sigma factor so that it can bind to and activate RNA polymerase at the appropriate gene targets. In the ptm cluster, the neighboring open reading frame, Orf10 (SEQ ID NO: 10), shares high homology with integral membrane proteins, and thus, may serve as the negative regulator for the Orf11 sigma factor. The positioning of Orf11 near the biosynthetic enzymes in the pactamycin gene cluster suggests that this factor may be involved with the regulation of pactamycin gene expression.

Orf14 (SEQ ID NO: 14) and Orf15 (SEQ ID NO: 15) are hypothetical proteins that have low identity to translation initiation factor IF-2 from Frankia alni ACN4a and Streptomyces avermitilis MA-4680, respectively. These proteins are predicted to be involved in regulating the biosynthetic enzyme production.

Orf9 (SEQ ID NO 9), Orf16 (SEQ ID NO: 16), and Orf19 (SEQ ID NO: 19) are highly related to the family of ATP-dependent (DEAD-box) RNA helicases. RNA helicases can facilitate the unwinding of secondary structures in mRNA and promote ribosome assembly. Orf16 and/or Orf19 are predicted to play a role in the regulation of pactamycin biosynthesis.

Orf18 (SEQ ID NO: 44) shares high homology with nourseothricin acetyltransferase from Streptomyces noursei. Nourseothricin is a nucleoside peptide that has potent antifungal and antibacterial activity due to its ability to inhibit translation and ultimately, protein synthesis. In the producing strain, S. noursei, the nourseothricin acetyltransferase gene confers resistance to the compound by mediating N-acetylation at the C-16 position. Similarly, pactamycin resembles a nucleoside moiety, which alters tRNA binding at the P-site of the ribosome and inhibits the translocation of translated products. Orf18 is predicted to mediate host resistance, such as via the acetylation of pactamycin or an intermediate structure during pactamycin biosynthesis. Orf18 is distantly similar to ribosomal-protein-alanine acetyltransferase, which may be important in self-defense strategy to the producing strain by modifying its own ribosome.

Orf23 (SEQ ID NO: 49) is homologous with the tRNA methyltransferase from S. avermitilis. Orf23 is predicted to be involved in the methylation/modification of the cellular tRNA binding site of pactamycin, inhibiting or reducing the toxicity of pactamycin in the producing strain, S. pactum.

ii. Characterization of Gene Cluster

In order to confirm the authenticity of the cluster and develop a heterologous expression system, the putative polyketide synthase gene (ptmQ) was subcloned into pJTU780, which was derived from pRSET-B (Invitrogen). The resulting plasmid was then linearized by HindIII digestion and ligated with pGM9 vector. Plasmid pGM9 can replicate in S. lividans, but not in E. coli. The fusion of the entire pJTU780 into pGM9 resulted in a shuttle plasmid that can replicate in both E. coli and S. lividans. The product was amplified in E. coli DH10B and introduced into S. lividans T7 by a standard protoplast transformation method (Kieser et al., “Practical Streptomyces Genetics”, The John Innes Foundation, 2000, Norwich, England). The transformants were grown in R2YE medium, supplemented with 50 μg/mL kanamycin and 7.5 μg/mL thiostrepton (inducer), at 30° C. for 5 days, and the culture supernatants were analyzed by LC-MS. A new peak corresponding to 6-MSA (23) (m/z 141 [M-H]⁻) was detected in a sample prepared from the culture of transformant P2-3, which harbors the ptmQ gene, compared with the sample prepared from the culture of S. lividans harboring the empty vector, pGM9 (FIG. 6). In order to confirm this peak as 23, the samples were co-injected with an authentic 6-MSA (23) standard, which was synthesized from 2-amino-6-methylbenzoic acid. The co-elution of the mutant product with the synthetic compound supports the identity of the new peak as 6-MSA (23). Further confirmation was achieved by GC-MS analyses after TMS derivatization of the samples.

Example 2 Genetic System for Gene Inactivation Experiments

This Example provides a genetic system for gene inactivation experiments with S. pactum ATCC 27456.

In order to genetically engineer the pactamycin producer a workable genetic system was developed for gene inactivation studies. The polyketide synthase gene (ptmQ) was targeted for gene disruption because it has been confirmed by heterologous expression to be the 6-MSA synthase responsible for the biosynthesis of the side-chain moiety of pactamycin. The gene was cloned by PCR and incorporated into pJTU780 to give pTAK1. A 1 kb DNA fragment of the apramycin resistance (Apr^(R)) gene (aac(3)IV) was amplified from pOJ446, and introduced into the SphI site of the ptmQ gene on pTAK1. The product, pTAK1/Apr^(R), was then double digested with SalI and NcoI to give a DNA fragment containing the Apr^(R) gene flanked on either side by 1.2 kb each of ptmQ fragments. The digested 3.4 kb SalI/NcoI fragment was Klenow filled and subsequently subcloned into the pHZ1358 vector to give pTML1. This vector contains a thiostrepton resistance (Thio^(R)) gene and the OriT transfer elements required for conjugation. pTML1 was introduced into S. pactum by conjugation and Apr^(R)/Thio^(R) colonies were obtained. These colonies presumably contained pTML1 either replicating autonomously or integrated into S. pactum genome by single crossover homologous recombination. To eliminate colonies that contain self-replicating vectors and to induce double crossover recombination, the mutant colony PKSM1 was selected, streaked on MS agar containing apramycin, and screened by replica plating for thiostrepton sensitivity. Three colonies showing Apr^(R) and Thio^(s) were isolated (PKSM1/3, PKSM1/8, PKSM1/19) and double cross over recombinants containing the in frame integration of Apr gene into ptmQ were confirmed by step-up PCR (with two different annealing temperatures) and Southern hybridization. FIG. 7A illustrates the expected fragments from BamHI/NcoI digestion. FIG. 7B provides the expected fragment from M/uI digestion. FIG. 7C illustrates the Southern hybridization results confirming the successful mutation (M, DNA marker; WT, wild-type; Mt, mutant; Pr, the 1.2 kb probe). The biological consequence of the mutation is described in Example 3.

Example 3 Metabolic Analyses of the ptmQ Mutants

This Example illustrates the effect of ptmQ inactivation on pactamycin biosynthesis.

Wild-type and ptmQ mutant strains of S. pactum were cultivated in modified Bennet medium at 30° C. for 5 days. The metabolites were analyzed by Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS). As shown in FIG. 8, the ptmQ mutants were not able to produce pactamycin (1) and/or pactamycate (24), but instead produced two new metabolites, 10 and 25. Peaks x and y are unknown metabolites. The molecular mass of compounds 10 (MW=424) and 25 (MW=379) are consistent with those expected for de-6-MSA-pactamycin and de-6-MSA-pactamycate, respectively. There were also a number of minor metabolites, e.g., 8″-hydroxypactamycin and 8″-hydroxypactamycate, in the culture broths of the wild-type strain but were also missing in those of the ptmQ mutants.

The production of compounds 10 and 25 suggests that the attachment of 6-MSA takes place last in the pathway, after the hydroxylation of C-7, which contradicts the earlier notion that 7-deoxypactamycin (13) is the direct precursor of pactamycin (1). Consequently, it is now possible to suggest that the acyltransferase enzyme that is involved in the condensation of 6-MSA with the cyclopentitol moiety is rather flexible in terms of its substrate specificity, as both compounds 9 and 10 (FIG. 3) can be used as substrates. More importantly, the generation of the ptmQ mutant strains and the production of compounds 10 and 25 provide invaluable tools to explore the possibility of generating a library of pactamycin analogs that would represent pharmaceutical leads from an untapped chemical class.

Example 4 Synthesis of Pactamycin Analogs

This Example describes representative methods for producing novel pactamycin analogs.

The inactivation of the polyketide synthase (PtmQ) resulted in the abolishment of pactamycin biosynthesis (see, for example, Examples 2 and 3). Without being limited to any particular theory, this abolishment is believed to be due to the loss of 6-MSA production. Consistent with the teachings herein, pactamycin analogs can be generated by supplying alternative building block molecules to cultures of the mutant strains. In particular, carboxylic acids have been demonstrated to be taken up by Streptomyces, thus pactamycin analogs having the formula

wherein R² is derived from a carboxylic acid building block, which is introduced via activation as the corresponding CoA ester, and esterification of the pactamycin core molecule with the activated CoA ester. Any carboxylic acid (or their N-acetylcysteamine derivatives) can be used to introduce the R² group, particularly aromatic carboxylic acids, including without limitation the commercially available carboxylic acids, such as substituted or unsubstituted pyrrole-2-carboxylic acids, furoic acids, benzoic acids, benzothiophene-2-carboxylic acids and thiazole-carboxylic acids. Administration of such compounds to the ptmQ mutant strain of S. pactum in the absence of the natural substrate 6-MSA results in the corresponding ester analog as illustrated in FIG. 9.

Alternatively, such pactamycin analogs can be prepared semisynthetically, for example by isolating from the ptmQ mutant compounds lacking the 6-methylsalicylic acid (6-MSA) moiety and selectively functionalizing the free primary hydroxyl. Such de-6-MSA compounds can be used as scaffolds to generate a library of compounds. Such compounds, including de-6-MSA-pactamycin and de-6-MSA-pactamycate, contain a free amino group, which can be selectively protected as is known to those of skill in the art of organic synthesis. Examples of suitable amine-protecting groups commonly used in the art can be found in Greene and Wuts, Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis, third edition, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1999, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Suitable protecting groups include but are not limited to, allyloxycarbonyl (Aloc), benzyloxycarbonyl (Cbz), ethoxycarbonyl, 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc), and tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc). The Boc is a preferred protecting group for selectively blocking the amine. De-6-MSA-pactamycin has four free hydroxyl groups: one primary, one secondary, and two tertiary hydroxyl groups. De-6-MSA-pactamycate has three hydroxyl groups: one primary and two tertiary hydroxyl groups. Because the primary hydroxyl group is more reactive in acylation reactions than secondary or tertiary hydroxyl groups, attachment of an acyl moiety at this position can be performed without further protection. Condensation of carboxylic acids with the selected de-6MSA pactamycin analog in the presence of a carbodiimide, such as EDCI, and catalytic DMAP yields (after deprotection of the amino group) acyl ester products (FIG. 10) of the formulas:

wherein R¹ is H or —OH and R² is an acyl group. In principle any carboxylic acid moiety can be incorporated as the R² group. In particular examples carboxylic acids having cyclic groups, such as heterocyclic groups, including aromatic groups, are incorporated. In other examples, the carboxylic acid employed is an aliphatic carboxylic acid, such as a fatty acid derivative. Examples of suitable carboxylic acids include, without limitation, those illustrated in FIG. 11.

As stated above, the primary amine moiety of the pactamycin analogs can be selectively functionalized. Thus, other pactamycin analogs prepared semisynthetically described herein include those of the formulas:

wherein R³ represents —C(O)R⁵—C(O)OR⁶; —C(O)NR⁷R⁸ and R⁵, R⁶, R⁷ and R⁸ independently are H, lower aliphatic, aryl or aralkyl.

With reference to the formulas above, in one embodiment, R² represents the group —C(O)R⁴ wherein R⁴ is an aromatic group, such as an optionally substituted mono- or polycyclic aromatic group. By way of example, such R⁴ groups include, without limitation:

wherein X is selected from H, lower alkyl, —OR⁹, halogen, —NO₂, —NR¹⁰R¹¹; Y is H, halogen or lower alkyl; and R⁹, R¹⁰ and R¹¹ independently are selected from H, lower alkyl and acyl.

One class of important pactamycin analogs produced herein is the 7-deoxy compounds, for example 7-deoxypactamycin (13) (FIG. 12). During pactamycin biosynthesis, the CYP-mediated oxidation reaction by PtmY is predicted to take place late in the pathway, as a 7-deoxy analog of pactamycin also accumulates in S. pactum cultures. 7-Deoxypactamycin (13) is equally active against a number of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, which suggests that the C-7 hydroxyl group in pactamycin is less relevant to its bioactivity. On the other hand, the presence of a hydroxyl group at C-7 is less favorable, because this nucleophile may attack the carbamoyl carbonyl to form an inactive cyclic derivative (FIG. 12). In fact, such a derivative, namely pactamycate (24), was found in S. pactum cultures. Therefore, inactivation of the hydroxylation enzyme prevents the formation of pactamycate (24), and increases the production of 7-deoxypactamycin (13).

Example 5 Inactivation of the ptm Genes in S. pactum

This Example provides methods of inactivating ptm genes to identify the function of the individual genes within the ptm cluster.

Inactivation studies can be performed according to the general method developed for ptmQ as described herein (see, for example, Example 3). In particular examples, genes encoding the aminotransferases (PtmA and PtmT), the α-carbamoyltransferase (PtmB), the radical SAM enzymes (PtmC, PtmH, PtmL, and PtmM), the putative N-methyltransferase (PtmD), the glycosyltransferase (PtmJ), the oxidoreductases (PtmN and PtmU), the hydrolase/acyltransferase (PtmO), and/or the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (PtmY) can be inactivated. In some examples, the proposed function of a gene can be explored with gene disruption studies, such as for the glutathione peroxidase homolog, PtmZ. These genes can be individually inactivated and the resulting phenotypes (metabolites) can be analyzed using routine methods known to those of skill in the art including TLC, LC-MS, and NMR. When new metabolites are identified, further efforts to isolate the compounds can be attempted by liquid chromatography (using silica gel, ion-exchange and gel filtration resins) and HPLC. The chemical structures of the metabolites can be determined using standard NMR methodologies, mass spectrometry, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and/or infrared spectroscopy.

Example 6 Heterologous Expression of the ptm Genes in S. lividans

This Example provides methods of expressing portions of the pactamycin gene cluster in heterologous hosts to generate mutant strains of S. lividans. The generated S. lividans mutant strains can be used to produce novel biosynthetic intermediates, which can then be used as scaffolds for the synthesis of novel bioactive chemical entities. It is contemplated that the intermediate or the products thereof may also be linked to cancer specific monoclonal antibodies. The products could potentially be used as ‘smart bullets’ that selectively target cancer cells, and leave normal cells unaffected.

As described herein, the iterative type I PKS (6-MSA synthase) gene (ptmQ) has been successfully expressed in S. lividans. To express parts of the cluster in fast-growing hosts, e.g., E. coli (to produce intermediate compounds, which can be used as scaffolds for the synthesis of novel bioactive chemical entities), target genes can be individually cloned into the expression vector pJTU780, a pRSET-B derivative containing a MfeI site, which is compatible with EcoRI, upstream of the T7 promoter region. The genes can be sequentially stitched together by ligating the MfeI/EcoRI DNA fragment from the donor plasmid with the EcoRI-digested acceptor plasmid. The product can be digested with EcoRI and ligated with another MfeI/EcoR1 fragment harboring the next required gene. This can be done sequentially until all candidate genes have been inserted into the acceptor plasmid. No MfeI or EcoRI sites are present in any of these genes. The orientation of the inserted genes can be determined based on their restriction patterns. An advantage of this cloning technique is that each gene has its own T7 promoter, which can be induced by IPTG.

A cassette of five genes (ptmA, ptmI, ptmO, ptmR, and ptmS) can first be cloned and tested for the production of 3-aminoacetophenone. The putative substrate of ptmA is dehydroshikimic acid, which is a primary metabolite involved in the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids. Therefore, no external genes for the biosynthesis of dehydroshikimic acid are required. However, if necessary, dehydroshikimic acid will be added into the cultures to increase the production of 3-aminoacetophenone.

Additional genes from the cluster can be added onto the plasmid. For example, an addition of the glycosyltransferase gene (ptmJ) into the plasmid is predicted to result in the production of N-acetylglucosaminyl-3-aminoacetophenone. In this fashion, a number of plasmids can be constructed containing various additional components of the pathway; e.g., ptmJ only; ptmJ and ptmG (the putative deacetylase); ptmJ, ptmG, and either ptmC (radical SAM), ptmN (oxidoreductase), or ptmU (oxidoreductase); etc. and are predicted to yield novel intermediates in the biosynthetic pathway (FIG. 13). The products can be individually transferred into E. coli and gene expression, with or without IPTG induction, and can be monitored by RT-PCR. The production of the expected secondary metabolites can be analyzed using TLC, HPLC, LC-MS, and NMR.

If E. coli harboring the initial gene cassette for 3-aminoacetophenone biosynthesis does not produce the compound, individual clones can be generated including constructs containing ptmJ only; ptmJ and ptmG; ptmJ, ptmG, and either ptmC, ptmN, or ptmU. The genes can be expressed in E. coli, which is cultivated in cultures containing 3-aminoacetophenone.

An advantage of the above constructs is the portability of the cassette, as the whole set of genes can be easily retrieved by cleaving the plasmid with MfeI and EcoRI and transferred to another expression vector applicable for a different host system. Therefore, the MfeI/EcoRI fragment harboring the complete gene cassette can be transferred into a replicative vector for a different host (e.g., S. lividans T7 or S. coelicolor) and the strain can be transformed by either conjugation or protoplast transformation. Whenever necessary, the genes can be integrated into the host genome using an appropriate integration vector, e.g., pSET152, which can be used in many Streptomyces spp. Transformation can be carried out using well-established conjugation methodologies. Resulting transformants can be analyzed for compound production.

Example 7 Inactivation and Identification of Regulatory Genes in S. pactum ATCC 27456

This Example provides methods of inactivating and identifying regulatory genes in S. pactum to generate strains with higher production capability.

As the production yield of pactamycin from S. pactum ATCC 27456 is relatively low (about 3 mg/L), it is desirable to generate strains with higher production capability. Strains producing high levels of the antibiotic are critical to ensure supply and to lower production costs. Industrial strains of antibiotic producers have been commonly generated by random mutagenesis using chemicals or UV irradiation. These methods involve a tedious screening system and have yet to define an easy way to identify the mutated genes. Therefore, an alternative mutagenesis procedure is desirable to systematically identify the regulatory genes involved in the production of the antibiotic. It is widely accepted that regulatory proteins, which up-regulate or down-regulate the production based on certain conditions, dictate the biosynthesis of the antibiotics. Therefore, the production yield of pactamycin in S. pactum can be improved by inactivation of these regulatory genes. Although the biochemical events involved in the process are presumably more complex, inactivation of the negative-regulatory genes is predicted to improve production of the antibiotic. The genes may be located in the vicinity of the biosynthetic gene cluster but may also reside at distant locations on the chromosome.

In the pactamycin gene cluster, there are a number of genes that are involved in the regulation of pactamycin biosynthesis. Those genes can include ptmF, ptmX, orf 9, orf10, orf11, orf14, orf15, orf16, orf18, and orf19. To inactivate and identify the regulatory genes of pactamycin biosynthesis, in frame deletion of these putative regulatory genes from the chromosome of S. pactum can be carried out using a double crossover gene replacement strategy as described herein. The mutants can be analyzed for their production yield of pactamycin by LC-MS. If more than one negative-regulatory genes can be identified (e.g., the knockout mutants show an increase in pactamycin biosynthesis), mutants that contain multiple gene deletions in these regulatory elements can be generated to further improve the production yield of pactamycin. As the strategy used for the double crossover inactivation does not introduce any antibiotic resistance marker into the genome, construction of multiple gene deletions using the same vector backbone should be possible, making sequential inactivation experiments easy and efficient. Alternatively, if pactamycin biosynthesis decreases as a result of gene disruption, this would suggest that a positive regulator of pactamycin biosynthesis has been located. In this case, overexpression constructs can be designed in the integrating pSET152 vector downstream of the constitutive promoter PermE*. The resulting construct can be transferred into S. pactum via conjugation and the mutant strains analyzed for their ability to produce more pactamycin.

Example 8 Synthesis of Pactamycin Analogs via Knockout Variants

This Example describes the production of pactamycin analogs via knockout mutants. Knockout mutants can be produced as described herein and as is known to those of skill in the art by, for example, transforming a host cell with one or more expression vectors including one or more of the nucleic acid sequences that encode an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NOs:1-53, including an in-frame disruption.

For example, inactivation of the carbamoyltransferase gene (ptmB) may give mutant strains that produce compound:

wherein R¹ is H or lower alkyl, such as methyl or ethyl or hydroxyalkyl and R² is H or lower alkyl, such as methyl.

Inactivation of the N-methyltransferase gene (ptmD) may give mutant strains that produce compounds of the formula

wherein R¹ is H or lower alkyl, such as methyl or ethyl or hydroxyalkyl and R² is H or lower alkyl, such as methyl.

Inactivation of the oxidoreductase gene (ptmN or ptmU) may give mutant strains that produce compounds of the formula:

Inactivation of the aminotransferase gene (ptmA or ptmU) may give mutant strains that produce compound:

Inactivation of the radical SAM genes (ptmH, ptmL, or ptmM) may give mutant strains that produce compounds of the formula:

wherein R¹ is H or carbamoyl (—C(O)NR⁴R⁵), such as dimethylcarbamoyl (R⁴ and R⁵ are methyl)

R² is H or lower alkyl, such as methyl or ethyl or hydroxyalkyl

R³ is H or lower alkyl, such as methyl; and

R⁴ and R⁵ independently are H or lower alkyl.

Inactivation of the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase gene (ptmY) may give mutant strains that produce compounds of the formula:

wherein R is H or acyl, such as a 6-MSA residue.

Moreover, the above knockout variants can be used in combination with semisynthetic techniques to produce additional pactamycin analogs. For example, 6-MSA synthase mutant strains can be supplied with N-acetylcysteamine (NAC)-derivatives of unnatural precursors. As is set forth in the scheme below, novel analogs of pactamycin can be generated by supplying alternative side chain molecules, as their NAC-derivatives, to cultures of the ptmQ mutant strain.

wherein R is an aliphatic or aromatic moiety, such as a lower alkyl group, an optionally substituted phenyl ring or an amino acid residue.

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosed invention may be applied, it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only preferred examples of the invention and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims. We therefore claim as our invention all that comes within the scope and spirit of these claims. 

1.-18. (canceled)
 19. A compound according to the formula

wherein R¹ is H or OH; and R² is H or —C(O)R⁴ wherein R⁴ is lower aliphatic or aromatic; R³ represents H, —C(O)R⁵—C(O)OR⁶; or —C(O)NR⁷R⁸ and R⁵, R⁶, R⁷ and R⁸ independently are H, lower aliphatic, aryl or aralkyl.
 20. The compound of claim 19, wherein the compound has the formula


21. The compound of claim 19, wherein R⁴ is an aromatic moiety.
 22. The compound of claim 19, wherein R³ is an amino acid residue.
 23. The compound of claim 22, wherein R³ is an aromatic amino acid residue
 24. A method for making pactamycin or an analog thereof, comprising: transforming a host cell with one or more expression vectors comprising an isolated nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 53; and amino acid sequences that are at least 95% identical in amino acid sequence to any one of SEQ ID NO: 1 to 53.; and culturing the host cell in a culture medium to produce pactamycin or an analog thereof.
 25. The method of claim 24, wherein culturing the host cell in a culture medium produces a compound of the formula

wherein R¹ is H or OH.
 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising modifying the compound of the formula

to produce a compound of the formula

wherein R³ is a protecting group.
 27. The method of claim 25, further comprising modifying the compound of the formula

to produce a pactamycin analog of the formula

wherein R² is an alkyl, acyl or aryl group.
 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the pactamycin analog has the formula

R⁴ is selected from

X is selected from H, lower alkyl, —OR⁹, halogen, —NO₂, —NR¹⁰R¹¹; Y is H, halogen or lower alkyl; and R⁹, R¹⁰ and R¹¹ independently are selected from H, lower alkyl and acyl.
 29. A pactamycin analog of the formula

R² is H or —C(O)R⁴ wherein R⁴ is lower aliphatic or aromatic; R³ represents H, —C(O)R⁵ —C(O)OR⁶; or —C(O)NR⁷R⁸ and R⁵, R⁶, R⁷ and R⁸ independently are H, lower aliphatic, aryl or aralkyl.
 30. The pactamycin analog of claim 29, wherein R³ is an amino acid residue.
 31. A method for disrupting or inactivating one or more pactamycin genes, comprising: transforming a host cell with one or more expression vectors including one or more of the nucleic acid sequences that encode an amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NOs:1-53, wherein the one or more nucleic acid sequences includes an in-frame disruption; selecting the host cell having the in-frame disruption; and culturing the host cell with the in-frame disruption in a culture medium to produce one or more metabolites. 